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i forgot how to be the happy mom

The other day a friend of mine told me to have fun with my kids.

I said in reply – I don’t know if I know how to do that anymore.

Just typing that brings tears to my eyes.

I know how to be the busy mom – moving from one urgent to another urgent to another there’s no toilet paper and the toilet’s overflowing and the kids are fighting and the smoke detector is going off and I can’t find my math sheet that was due three days ago urgency. I’ve mastered the art of building lunches with almost bare pantries and finding last minute presents and helping with homework that was to be done the night before but now it is 7:11 and we need to leave at 7:18 kind of days.

I’ve figured out how to survive on three hours of interrupted feet in my face kids waking up sleep. I know the quickest way to Starbucks and that on certain days, like today, it is perfectly acceptable to order the extra shot of espresso and to get it extra hot and maybe with a bit more sugar. I determined that making my bed isn’t required but that the kitchen island better stay clean or it’s a green light telling everyone that the rest of the house is okay to be messed up.

I’ve mastered counting to ten ten times in a row and gathering my resolve and dealing with stress and listening to music to calm me down or trying to take an extra long shower so I can have maybe four minutes of quiet without hearing mo-o-om called and dealing with one boy who decided to sneak the last chip bag and throw the wrapper in his closet behind the box of legos. The beast of laundry may still haunt me but even that has become putty in my mom hands as I know that those pants that were needed in the morning will get done even if I have to stay up to 2:30am.

But having fun? Laughing? Just being the happy mom?

Sometimes I fear I’ve lost it in the busy and the stress.

I’ll try to play a game with them but my mind will race through the to-do list that has it’s own index and days of rolled over I’ll do it tomorrow items. While they’re drawing cards and laughing I’ll be creating a list of things I’ve forgotten to do and need to do and don’t really want to do but I can’t put off much longer.

Mom! It’s your turn!!

And I’ll be thinking about the toys that should be sorted or what to do for dinner or how to hide the card that brings you back to the beginning of Candyland because the game isn’t ever ending. Yeah, yeah, yeah… that’s a skill of motherhood. Perfecting the art of not going back to the CandyCane Forest.

Oh, please don’t get me wrong, I love love love my kids.

But sometimes I feel guilt. Guilt about not being more present or laughing more or having fun or not doing all the cool things that I think my kids deserve. I’ll feel guilt about having to work and telling them just give me fifteen more minutes to get this done and then those fifteen minutes turn to thirty and then they’re on to something else. It’s so much mom pressure that I don’t think we talk about.

I want to be the happy go lucky fun mom.

But being a mom is hard.

I’m not complaining. For real. But I’m just talking about some of those truths that moms deal with. Like Saturday – I spent almost an hour going back and forth with a very crabby five year old who refused to get dressed. Sounds simple, right? Like there’s a five step program to fixing this? Well, in that moment, there wasn’t. There was just me trying to understand why this was like this and then feeling guilt and like I wasn’t a good mom because we were in the midst of this battle over putting on clean underwear and pants and a shirt.

Where did the happy part go?

Where did the laughing, the Hallmark moments, the sitting at the table with the glitter and making snowflakes part of being a mom go? Because I could sit at the table and make snowflakes with glitter with them and even though I’d be having fun part of me, truthfully, would be thinking now how in the world am I going to get this glitter cleaned up?

You know. I think the truth is that sometimes we just need to acknowledge that there are seasons in our life that are just hard work. Motherhood being one of them. Especially those years when they’re all under five – that’s when I need Starbucks delivered and extra help especially in cleaning those bathrooms especially again when I had little boys who had no sense of aim and their directional abilities included hitting anything within five feet of the target. But just because it’s hard or we lost that happy for a bit doesn’t make us a bad mom.

I want happy to return.

So I’m deciding every day to do one thing that makes me happy. One thing. Maybe it’s listening to music that I love or spending thirty minutes watching Modern Family on Hulu. Maybe it’s cleaning up my Facebook stream and getting rid of people who cause me angst. Maybe it’s deciding to play that game with my kids and to really really play it but letting myself have grace if I find myself thinking about the dishes that need to be done as I flip over the double yellow card.

One thing.

I don’t want to minimize the hard parts of motherhood and to shout just be happy moms! because I know it can be a hard hard thing and you can feel lost in the midst of motherhood and wondering if you make a difference and then wonder who in the world am I and why am I not happy when it seems like the rest of the world has mastered that?

Sometimes sometimes sometimes it’s easy to lose us and our happy in the midst of this crazy life journey with twenty plus years of motherhood tucked in the middle. Tears. You’re not alone, sweet mother, if you’ve ever felt this way. Listen, please, please, please. You are not the only mom who has ever stood in the kitchen with kids running around and dishes piled high and loud noises and tears have filled your eyes as you wondered what happened to happy. It’s okay. For real. I know those moments hurt and can make you feel like you just want to throw your hands in the air and that sometimes you just want a break and sometimes just a hug or to be loved and told you matter.

So listen.

It is okay. You are a good mom. Even in all those moments.

Maybe we should all make a goal for this year to find one more thing to do to be happy. A Happy Moms Project, perhaps. Not built on artificial pretenses or doing crazy extra things or being perfect, but really on loving ourselves and taking time for ourselves and learning to be in the moment just for a bit with our kids.

It’s about grace today. And knowing that happy can come back. And maybe maybe maybe just allowing yourself a moment to be happy and to let the cares of the world and never ending to-do’s fall off of your back just for a moment. It’s in stepping back and working hard to get that deep breath and to fill your head with words about the awesome that you do versus telling yourself all the things you didn’t do. It’s in letting that laugh come back and the wonder that your kids have mastered but you’ve temporarily lost in the busy.

Yes, that. That is what I want you to read.

And yes, you’re doing unbelievable things. Even if it feels ordinary and exasperating and tiring.

With love. Hope. And the words I’m proud of youto all of you today.

Happy can be there. We didn’t forget. We just got busy.

Smile.

From me, the real mom up here in the semi-frozen tundra of Minnesota, to all of you – My friends on this crazy exasperating loving amazing tiring and beautiful journey called motherhood.

~Rachel

Want more community and a group of moms determined to find happy? That’s this page.

For more encouragement and some real life words about being a mom grab my Dear Mom Letters Ebook

The hardest part of not having fun as a mother is watching your children become adults and not liking what they have become. I have two adult children and one of them brings me nothing but worry. They are good kids but sitting back and watching them make mistakes is very difficult and when you try to offer advice the one gets angry and disrespectful and this is not how I tried to raise her. Your post was good, it reminded me that I need to have my own fun and try not to let their actions hurt so much.

U r right there! Watchin ur kids all turn into adults is the hardest by far. I wish i could put all 3 back in diapers. They dont turn out exactly how u wanted. They r there own person. But most of all…love and respect are the most important things a mom could want. Unfortunately…i dont get that. Just a empty nest! We can only hope they feel different on the inside than how they act on outside. Sometimes ur kids can make u feel like u failed when u were a good mom. Hopefully things will change cuz god knows ur kids change like the weather. No mom is alone. Im hear to talk!

My daughter is 27. AT 25 she met a girl who was raised in foster homes and doesn’t “like” parents. After 3 months of dating, she told me she and Christina we getting married. I asked if she was sure she wanted to get married so soon after meeting this person. Our daughter has turned on us and said she had a horrible childhood. She developed depression and threatened us with suicide when we discussed anything she didn’t want to. She was a perfect child until she met this person. She was an only child being raised by “have” parents who grew up in “have not” families. We gave her everything including our time and love. It was tearing us apart and destroying our relationship. She came “home” this Christmas and stayed with my niece who is transgender. I went to their house to bring her a gift and they wouldn’t let her come to the door. My niece threatened to call the cops if I didn’t get off her property. Needless to say we were angry and hurt. We decided to let her go. She already had us blocked from any type of contact with her including her address. When your kids don’t turn out the way you hoped, and all we hoped for was a decent relationship, it isn’t your fault. Many parents give too much and are taken for granted …. until they’re needed AGAIN. But she’ll have to get herself up and dusted off unless she learns how to apologize and appreciate her parents

I wish I could put mine back in diapers…best time of my life…best !!
As adults, they really don’t want to listen to advice…..from me, experienced in almost everything..give my babies back to me..please

I am in exactly the same boat. Good adult children but angst nontheless. After so many years of caring for, helping, loving my children to the point of putting my needs on the back burner, it is disorienting to turn off the “responsibility” switch and on the “focus on yourself” switch.

That switch is an interesting thing indeed. Part of my journey has been in seeing that happen in many friends lives and in my own – which is why I think I write so much about not forgetting us in motherhood. Thank you for sharing and blessings as you discover you.

Oh my goodness! 1 no longer at home, over achiever, one who knows everything, to graduate this next school year, and one still at home with several more years to go and a child that requires a lot of attention due to several disabilities that I try to instill in her that she can work and still achieve great things. I feel that way so often…that somehow I have failed one or all my children, or am not the “cool, fun ” mom that I always wanted to be….I find myself missing the job of taking care of ALL of them and miss them dearly when they are gone, worrying they are okay! Growing up is really hard on this mommy and I want to have Happy not sad times as I always dread them leaving. Through everything, no matter what…they hold your heart forever!

Mary and Rachel,
You have both brightened my day. I love my children and what pains me are the same things that Mary speaks of. Why will they never listen to years of experience but instead go off and make huge mistakes that will have negative impacts on their future. The choices they are making are breaking my heart. The disrespect and abuse is breaking my heart. It is time to just watch from a distance and pray they see the error of their ways. I will always be here for them but I have to live for me too. Thank you both.

Some individual just aren´t willing to learn from others and have the need to take their own decision og learn from their own mistake. Thats just how it is and I can just imagine how hard it is for parents to see you child making a mistake, but sometimes mistakes are necessary for the develipment of that individual. The only thing that we as parents can do is be their for them when they need us and offer advise if they ask us

Wonderful post! Thanks for this. My project for this year is trying out one super easy mindfulness (or meditation/relaxation) technique per week, with similar aims. Looking after ourselves is so important! Hoping your smile comes back and stays back.

Mary, your not alone. I too have adult children. It’s hard for me to not let it hurt so much. The post does have great ideas and brought back my own thoughts of what I once did for me and my happiness and finding purpose on this earth again.

I just read this, and Im just lost.. I have 7,almost 8 year old son and I feel like I have lost all control..He is an only child and hid father has never seen him, so im a single I’m a single. He is a good boy for the most part, but the arguing and back talk is getting worse..I have tried everything from taking away something he loves to time out in the corner.. He promises he will be better and then “boom” he is right back to the samethin.. it really breaks my heart the way he talks to me and I feel like he hates me and he is my world and I would do anything in this world for him. I have done everything to talking to him in a not arguing to grounding him taking away toys timeouts in the corner. It is not only making me miserable but I am sure it is making him miserable as well and he does know that I will do everything I can in my power to make sure he is taken care of like he should be. I go to bed at night crying. He is so well loved by everybody that he is around he is for the most part a very happy little boy. He tries so hard and is so worried about how he can make people like him and he gets so nervous that he is going to upset somebody like in school for example his teacher that I know it breaks his heart if he does something wrong or makes a mistake and he thinks that whoever he made the mistake with is not going to like him anymore. For a seven year old child he has a very very big heart. He never meet a stranger. He does it seem to think he can confide in me and tell me anything he was being bullied in school by a bigger student and my son is only in second grade and he was afraid to tell me what was going on and I know him very well I know when something is bothering him. When I asked him about it he tells me nothing is wrong and he is OK. That really frightens me because if he feels he cannot confide in me his own mother I am scared that those feelings are being bottled up in them and they’re going to get bigger and bigger and making him miserable. My son has a lot of energy and he has been tested for ADHD add everything and he does not have any of those he is an extremely smart little boy and my fear as I said I want him to be able to confide in me when he needs something or needs to talk to me because it breaks my heart that he feels he cannot come to me and I need him to come to me when something is bothering him at school or anything so I can take care of it at that time so it does not get out of hand. I don’t know where to go from here. He confides in his school counselor he tells her everything and I think he is so worried about hurting my feelings or thinking I am going to be disappointed in him that he’s afraid to tell me and that breaks my heart. If you have any suggestions please let me know or please direct me to the right place or website or something to where I can do what I need to do to help resolve these issues. I need all the help I can get because as I said that little boy is my world and I don’t know what I would do without him. So very sorry this comment is so long but any suggestions or anything anything you can do to help your point me in the right direction would be appreciated thank you so much

Jenn,
I know this story. Mine is now 12. I’m married and have a supportive person try and help me parent our amazingly wonderful child who sometimes can’t get control of himself and pushes back with everything he has. We just opted for medication to assist him. If you and he are not in counseling get some. Support for you, for him, and someone to work with you both. Teach him to meditate, do yoga together, get him involved in things that teach self control and respect, give him outlets for his energy, give him places he can turn upside-down. That last one may seem weird but there’s something truly restorative about that practice. Keep setting the boundaries that he can’t set for himself. Set them with love, not with the goal that behavior change is around the corner. His brain has not fully developed to help him with this.Give him the feeling he has choices, even if they don’t always work. Hang in there.

Jenn, My heart goes out to you. I have an 8 year old son who is the same as yours. He’s a very sensitive child who wants to please others and who is afraid to make a mistake. And when he was bullied, he didn’t tell me most of the time but would act out at home by arguing and back-talking. He would do that because he was angry inside from the bullying. We got my son a punching bag to punch out his anger. Maybe you can have him draw a picture about school and have him tell you about the picture. I don’t know any other suggestions right now because we never figured out how to get my son to stand up for himself or tell me every time when he was bullied until he started taking karate. I would also say, though, to pray to God for wisdom and strength to know what to do to help him. {{Hugs!}}

There is nothing better to read something positive to your child where you could teach him or her some spiritual values. Give your child a good hug and make sure you tell him or her three good things about him or her daily. Be genuine and be real. The child will realize that you find something good in him or her and will feel secure and give you peace of mind. Put this plan to work. Mark it in a calendar each day you have completed and the results. You will find yourself nagging less, praising him more, having a closer relationship and a more confident child who will make you proud. Remember be genuine.

Jenn, I have boys just like yours. My first son was an only child for his first 8 years and I remember his 8th year being the WORST. He was my little buddy for so long. We had a special connection…the perfect mother/son relationship. Then, he hit 8 and it all flipped upside down. It turned out to be a phase and it did pass after a while – by the time he was 9, I think. Now, my second son is 8 and I’m seeing it all over again. I keep having to remind myself: ‘He’ll grow out it…he’ll grow out of it’. I can see the smirk on his face when he’s managed to finally push my buttons to the point that I’ve become infuriated. And like your son, he is a perfect angel at school, very smart, tender-hearted, and all of that. I read a book once about childhood behavior and it said that approximately every other year of their life is another growth spurt and their bodies are growing at enormous rates, hormones pumping through them, and this causes them to be a little crazy (okay, a lot crazy sometimes! ha)
I’m terrible at following my own advice but sometimes I try to take a break from being so mom-ish and spend a little time building my relationship with them. Sometimes I can only last about 10-15 minutes, but I try. haha By this, I mean I try to create situations that we can just be together without me fussing at him. For my middle son, it’s taking just him with me to the store and I have to remind myself to not fuss at all for this one trip and try my best to make the whole trip about just being happy together even if he gets away with really small things during that trip. When we get home, everything goes back to normal but I can see a little difference in how he treats me after that and I feel less guilt because we did have a good memory for the day. I need to get back to doing this right now, myself!

Jenn, my mama’s heart sank for you as I read this. I can hear your heart and passion for your son in your words. Being a mom, OF A BOY, is an interesting puzzle to figure out at best. And I want to tell you how much I admire single mommies!! (And daddies, for that matter) I want to be honest with you in a very compassionate way. Your words held a lot of guilt about what you may or not be able to provide for your son. To a certain degree that “mother’s guilt” grips us all, for many different reasons! I have 4 children, 3 of whom are boys, one being a year and a half older than his twin brothers. Those three will be the death of me, I’m sure! 😉 The oldest (8 yrs) one struggles with his feelings and his behavior that springs from those intense feelings that he doesn’t know how to manage. And I feel defeated most days when it comes to him. If your son finds comfort and freedom to express himself to the school counselor, I would say relax and find peace in knowing he’s capable of it. Support that relationship, just let him know that you are always willing to listen to him, share with him your own fears and shortcomings in a positive way that shows how you overcame them, and in doing so you will leave those highways of communication open for when he is ready to come to you. He is your son and, as you have already observed, he wants to please you 🙂 I want to be my children’s end all/be all because, hey, they’re mine! But everyday I pray that if they can’t come to me that they would be surrounded with people who would guide them in the right direction, which always benefits my relationship with them. And we even talk about the fact that they will find that they will face things they may not feel comfort talking to me about, but that these people (aunts, uncles, friends parents, church leaders, etc) love them and would always be there to listen to them and help them. And so when they struggle with something and fee they can’t come to me, and yet I know they have sought out advice from one of these trusted sources, I let the guilt go and find peace in knowing they are “ok”. Your son is 7 and you will always be his hero!! 🙂 You sound like a wonderful mom! Relax mama and know he’s going to be ok 🙂 In the meantime, I find counseling helps me stay focused 🙂 You have been through a lot in your life. How much of what you’re carrying effects this parenting anxiety you feel? A good counselor can help you organize your thoughts and ease your fears, which can help you relax and enjoy more. I needed it and still do at times 🙂 {{Hugs to you}}

Hi Jen. You ask for suggestions. Try http://www.simplicityparenting.com Sounds as though you and and your son are under a lot of stress. This has terrible behavioral implications for you both and can color your whole world. Best wishes.

Jenn,
I am in the exact shoes as yourself.
My son is turning 7 in October and just started school.
He has never seen his dad but is generally a very well behaved boy.Since starting school this year, he has starter telling lies and sometimes talks rudely.
His school teacher also suspected ADHD.
honestly for past 2 mths I failed as a mum.Due to my son sudden change in behaviour.
But I decided to take a more active role to moniter his school work,discuss more on how are his class mate n try to listen more to him.
I see a change in him as he is no more lying.
As a single mum n provider, its very stress.And a good fren highlighted 6-7 yr is the big change toddler to Child.
So instead of blaming yourself, needless to say is first thing single mums do, try to set boundaries.
It may take time but as parents we must adapt to our kids development and age.
so give yourself a pat on the back for bring and awesome mum, and work hand in hand with ur son, his teachers.
it really helped me n I hope it helps u.
May god give you strength and ur son wisedom to realise your amazing.

I too have an 18 year old daughter graduating from high school this year, and a 23 year old son. Both I love them to the moon and back! But exactly what you said, I thought once kids become adults we are finished. It’s just so HARD To let go!!

I have been a not happy mom for a few years now and relate to this description. However much I tell myself to go and do stuff for myself and ignore the disrespect and still( at advancing teenage years) constant demands…the guilt gets me every time. I feel like I went terribly wrong somewhere? But thanks Mary for this post I am going to TRY to detach more and fulfill some of my needs for a change.

I needed to hear that about adult kids. I feel so much regret somedays because i worked so hard raising them. Motherhood always is in my mind and its hard to let go and have fun. I need to learn how to have fun again as well and remember as adults they are making their own choices.

Thank you! I know just what that feels like. It is comforting to know we aren’t alone.

BTW, make those snowflakes. Use play dough to clean up glitter, roll it in a ball and roll the ball all over the glitter. When it gets coated kneed it like dough and keep going. As a bonus you get sparkly play dough without the extra cost!

Wow…it’s like you studied my life and told my story. I never knew what it was but I knew something was wrong…I lost my fun dang it! I have 5 children 2 of which suffer from mental illness and autism and one has physical issues. All of which are time stealers. I want to have fun and I want to just relax and chill out as I’m so often told…right, like I never thought to chill, like I want to be this mom….this over stressed out of her freaking mind mom. Anyway.. thank you for your amazing insight and thank you for actually knowing what my problem is, soon to be was 😉

I have been living this way forever it seems. Life is so incredibly hectic and I feel like such a horrible mom because though I know my kids are fed and clean and ….and I know I love them with all of my heart…a love ive never experienced..a love that brought me to life and I would never change that in a moment..i just wish I wasn’t so busy and that I could do something for me for a change without feeling guilty and wishing that when I do have a break, I had more energy to do wonderfully funny fun things with the kiddos, but the “I’m getting old” comes creeping into my head and I just want to rest, I just want a little bit of doing nothing…and in those moments, I feel like a horrible mom because, once again, the happy fun times with the kiddos gets overlooked. I hate it. To be young again, to have that energy, to have that motivation to just live and not stay busy all the time. I want to hear my kids laughing and smiling and I want to be a part of that joy…I want to cause some of that joy…I want to return to them the joy and love that they bring into my life…I know I feel it…a love so intense that it cant be completely explained…but I wonder, do they know it…even in my busy moments..do they know.

I needed this article sooooo much. I had a rough day today. Nothing seemed to add up. Today was the day I cried and cried my heart out!!I cried because it’s hard being a mon and I feel guilty thinking this way.I need a break and I don’t know how to do that since my husband is exhausted too with all the cleaning and cooking. I am too tired to do all that. But,I need a break and ,again,I feel guilty saying this. Your article has helped,but I need time to embrace the idea that it s OK what I am feeling. I love my one year old baby,but I m exhausted.

Rachel, thank you for writing this about your life being a mom. I love all the posts and most of them really hit home. I am glad I read all the posts the mom’s wrote, it mad me feel better about myself and that I wasn’t a bad parent but a good one. Thank you again…

From one honest mom in Canada to the next in America, I really appreciate everything you wrote.

This is a hard journey and it’s necessary we don’t feel alone while moving through it.

I am a mom of 3 rambunctious kids under 6. Life gets busy and I want to work on those “special” moments daily.
Let’s keep moving and setting aside the guilt that is attached with finding these moments.

Thank you for the post. I literally pray every single day for God to grant me a light heart for my two little ones. Every. Single. Day. I wasn’t sure if it was helping my mom get through cancer, or my 2.5 year old’s ICU stay (he’s fine now), or just a gloomy Michigan winter, but now I feel comforted in knowing that many mothers feel this at times. Prayers and well-wishes for the happy mother project!

I say there’s a quiet chaos to being a working Mom. Your blog guides me through my day sometimes when I am in the trenches and just want to throw in the towel. I’m fighting with therapy and fighting with being the one that’s always in the wrong. But your blog shows me it’s OK to be human…it’s OK to be me…and it’s OK to be a Mom. I relish in that simplistic idea that being Mom is enough. And it’s enough for the mini creation I call heaven, my daughter. So thank you.

There was a time when I, too, forgot how to be happy. Then I got a divorce, married a wonderful person who helped me parent the kids and clean the house etc. The load became easier but the work wasn’t done. I started going to therapy because I realized that I needed a place to vent, I needed someone to listen to me and not be interrupted by my own kids or my friend’s kids as we tried to share with each other over coffee. And I put myself on the to-do list. I made time for me to go and enjoy something that only I wanted to do, be that a manicure or a yoga class. I also learned how to say “No”, no to the PTA board position and no to volunteering to be the room mom in both of my children’s classrooms, no to family who thought it would be easy for me to come to them and visit, no to other parents who assumed I’d pick up the slack/do the job. There needed to be a balance in my life and it required me to say no. Your happiness is important! I realized that I wanted my children to remember me happy not as the mom that could do it all and juggle so many things at once. Choose Happy!

yes! This is me–in a big NUT shell:) Thanks for the validation. I truly believe we can band together and support each other. Motherhood is wonderful, fulfilling, exhausting, tiring, boring (waiting for xyz to get out of xyz), busy, chaos, dirty, mean, and just plain crazy! But, we do it! We love our babies!!
xo

this is exactly how I feel but I need it for my young adult children. I went though a divorce at 26 years so my kids were 24 and 19. he married again as soon as the divorce was final. 10 days later. so it has been really hard. I never saw it coming and I feel like I lost everyone at once and they are angry too but I am so devastated I can’t begin to deal with it. It has been 3 years and I am really starting to wonder will I ever be happy again.

I had a similar experience. Divorced at 26 years marriage, one kid ,15, left at home. You lost the dream, the future with THAT family. It is never the same. Many different things will happen to you some good, that never would have happened before. I hope you reach for something you love, a place, a cause, animals ,faith, a passion,a friend be it family or not. I am still on my journey as while we are, living this IS our time on this earth. Best wishes. Leslie

I FELT like this way too much. I remembered having one child and that motherhood was more enjoyable in the way of spending qualitity time. Three kids later and I was just waking up to be a laundry folder, meal maker, bath giver but not really a mom. I remember a day I told my husband I hated cooking for our family and just plain hated being a mom (I think I was just stuck in a rut)…Fast forward to now, I’ve begun a practice of mindfulness. Which means I try to be in whatever moment I am in. So when I am cooking I enjoy it because I won’t get that moment back and when I hear the chaos that comes w a tiny house and three kids I love it because I won’t ever get that moment back. Do I always love it, no..but am I aware that these moments are really a gift, very much.

Madison, your comment about mindfulness was really touching. It’s so true. And like the author of this post, I find myself thinking out my to-do lists as I’m experiencing a different moment altogether. It can be so difficult to juggle all of the mom/wife/employee duties throughout the day. Being mindful that each moment matters is so important. Thanks for sharing.

Madison – I read your post with interest that’s what I need – how to learn to practice mindfulness. I’m a proper grumpy old dad, need to fix that for my own reasons as much as my kids. Can you point me to anywhere I can learn about mindfulness techniques please ?

There are times I look at old home videos and think I was a better mom when I only had 2 small children. Now I have 6 and things change from tantrums to ignoring. It is draining and I lose my patience too often. I am tying to figure that out but the one thing is I do find time for myself daily. It is my sanity. Happiness is a bonus.
Ps. There are much better games than candy land that you will enjoy. Labyrinth. Enchanted Forrest. Say Anything. Tsuro. Ect.
Good Luck!

I’m not in that stage yet. I have a nice baby boy. He is 7 months old. When he born I had c-section and my husband took care for both the first 10 days. He was getting tired and angry every day. After 15 days I was taking care of my house again with all the pain, but in my mine always I thought”No matter how tired or in pain I feel I’m going to smile to him every time”and when he was 3 months old he begon smiling too and he never stopped. I thinks sometimes just they need and smile and their day and our day turn diffetent. It’s hard but worth it. Good luck everyone. And I’m sure I’ll be in that stage dealing with the kids too. Thanks for the information.

I have two little boys and I can relate. It comes in waves for me. Like I will have days or if I’m lucky weeks where things feel manageable and dare I say almost peaceful. Then someone will get hit with a cold or maybe it’s nothing at all that I can point a finger to, but it gets overwhelming. And I find myself frustrated, feeling isolated, stifled and even angry. Then I catch myself and the guilt sets in. I love these guys with every fiber of my being but it is SO hard sometimes. Add keeping a fulfilled marriage to the mix and it seems impossible at times. Anyways, it’s important to not feel alone and to be authentic with our struggles. Because chances are, they aren’t unique to just us. Thanks for keeping it real.

Very well written. I’m standing here with years in my eyes. I think all mom’s need to read this and know it’s ok. It’s ok to take a minute and not worry about the thousands of things that need to be done. And if something doesn’t get done it’s not the end of the world; it doesn’t make us bad mom’s.

Thank you. I guess I forgot that I forgot how to be happy. And when your post showed up today, I started to cry. I, too, want to be the happy mom and I related to everything in your post. So thank you for being the reminder I needed today to pause and take it in for a moment.

Your blog posts always make me feel like I am not alone. That I am not the only Mother that deals with this stuff. Although, all mine are teens now it doesn’t stop. Life has been crazy. I have two very sick kids, a house that is a mess and 2 grown dogs and a puppy trashing it more and more daily. I am on the phone with Dr’s and hospital’s and specialists and schools trying to get the days excused to make sure he still graduates this year and that my other can go onto high school. Three weeks of illness in both of them. I’m losing my mind. I don’t even know what a shower is most days and forget washing my hair. It’s a mess in a ponytail….BUT….we are doing what NEEDS TO BE DONE!!!!

You are there in the moments they will remember. They won’t remember a game of Candy Land but they will remember how you dried them off after a bath, how you tucked them in at night and went through your bedtime routine. They will always remember the taste of your sandwiches and when they make one themselves as an adult they will tell you it’s not as good as the one you used to make. My 27 Yr. old loves MY grilled cheese and won’t eat any other. 😉

That is the stuff they take with them…I promise you. 🙂 Be strong. You are doing it all right.

I forgot to add that savoring a cup of tea while the dishes rot in the sink isn’t the end of the world. We will get them done. Take the time. I took time to read your blog today. That was my me time….THANK YOU for that. Now….off to heal the sick.

Thank you for this. Just last night I was saying that I was feeling overwhelmed (3.5 month old and 3.5 year old girls) and that I was missing out on just being in the moment with them. I joined my 3.5 year old on her fort that she had built and tried hard to have fun, even with the to do list of things we needed to accomplish after bed time. After the girls were in bed, my husband pushed me out the door for a 5 minute walk around the block by myself. It was lovely, snow and Christmas lights (we are your Canadian neighbours to the north). I came home feeling much calmer and happier. So important to just take a few minutes for ourselves. Thank you for writing this, it helps to know I’m not alone!

Taking the walk outside is great. I have 3 children. I sent my oldest off to college last Fall and crashed into a horrible depression even though I still have 2 at home. Cherish every moment. It is not about how many games you play it’s about being together. But when stress crashed in a walk by yourself is a great idea, as is yoga, and prayer. Nit to mention a dinner out with friends. Also write down 3 things you are grateful for every day. You can do it, one day at a time.

I cannot stand it when I sit down to play a game or read a book to my daughter…only to have my to-do list stream through my head. Or to just focus on a mess that needs to be cleaned up. Then she smiles at me…and I melt. The kiddos are having a great time, so we need to join them in this joy!
Great reminder. Thank you!

Once again, your post is so timely! I too have been wondering where all the fun and silliness has gone around here. I’ve been thinking about making 2015 the year of silly – a way to reconnect with what makes me happy and how to just laugh more with all those people I love. I’d totally be up for a Happy project if you start one – a way to tap into that fun side of myself again and stop taking myself so bloody seriously 😉 Life is meant to be joyful, right!? and I know being more gentle with myself and not beating myself up about all the mom guilt, etc is one way to get there. I hope you are able to find that happy place over the holidays!

Oh ya, I totally see myself forgetting how to have fun, and my son is only 3.5 yrs old. But there are all the normal things to do plus deep cleaning the entire house because the dog got fleas bad…so I when boy wakes from his nap I will stop and play with play dough with him like I didn’t do yesterday when he asked. Thank you for the reminder!!!!!!! <3

I can relate to your post, and as a homeschooling mom I can add the fact that I am with my kids 24/7/365 and really all I want to do is find some space. I feel guilty for not playing after I’ve spent 3 hours with them working on reading and math. I get so tired by bed time story hour has fallen to the wayside for simply “go to bed.” There are special moments of laughter and around the dinner table when they talk about the silliest things. Those are the times I try to remember when I feel like I cant do another thing. Its quaint to say “this too shall pass” but Hallelujah it is true! You are doing a good thing.

You have NO idea how much this sums up my feelings of late. I am a mom of a 6 yo and 4 yo. Today, while I worked from my computer at Mickey D’s (I travel for my FT job) and my littles were off to school and our child care provider’s, I watched this mom and her child with envy. She PLAYED with her child, she LAUGHED with her child, she SMILED with her child…and I felt jealous…and sad. I don’t know how to do that anymore, it seems… and tonight, when I took a few moments to tickle them, my boy with the hair-trigger reflux puked up his dinner from laughing too hard… Motherhood IS a hard job… but I wish someone could help me find the fun in it to make the hard more bearable. I am all for some sort of “finding the fun” in 2015.

Having raised six girls and having had my share of “Where is the happy” moments I have to say … This is the most truthful and touching post I’ve read in awhile. So much time is spent on just not being in the present moment with our children. Thank you so much for affirming these young mommas. I have 12 grands now and have wTched my daughters at various times go through the tough times…. I hope to show them this piece and tell them how proud I of them… Thank you again Rachael for being so open and honest…. These sweet women deserve that.

We as moms do the best we can, there is no manual that we get when we have are children we do the best we can, an hope that we having loving children that grow into amazing Adults. There is not one mother in this world that can say they are the perfect mom, if they think they are there kidding themselves. No mom is perfect…. Just remember love your children no matter what and do the best you can. I did the best I knew how and im the mom of Three amazing adults now !

You hit the nail on the head. It’s so hard to enjoy the time with our kids when our brains can’t ever “turn off.” I am trying to do what you are — forcing myself to have a little time to myself each day — as well as making more time for my son, even when there are other things I should be doing! One of my friends always says, “Tomorrow. Everything will be there tomorrow.” I need her constant reminder that the chores won’t ever go away but childhood will!
Peace and love to you and your family this holiday season.
Shannon in PA

I appreciate your thoughts here and sharing your feelings so openly. It’s true we need to “take care of ourselves” but we also need to not feel the need to control all of our circumstances or for our lives to look “perfect.” It is also true that we are enabling our children’s creativity and joy by organizing and arranging, by feeding and clothing them so selflessly. And while they are young we have to do all of those things for them. But my kids are now 9, 7, 5, and 2 and especially the older 2 have a lot of responsibility which actually makes my life a lot easier. And I have long ago given up this idea of “control.” Do I cook and clean and do my best to make sure our house is in order? Sure I do. But do I let to-do lists own me? No, I don’t think I do. I find a lot of joy in the moments of life, because people matter, tasks do not. I hope this can happen for you and some of your readers too. Let go, Someone is in control and I’m glad it doesn’t have to be me!

As I left my kids room tonight my 4yr old yelled Im the meanest mom ever. I wondered what I was doing wrong, why bedtime is such hell these days, and why am I always so unhappy. “This isnt what I signed up for!” I cried to an empty livingroom. And then minutes later I sat down and read this. Tears tears tears. Thank you mama. You get it. I am there with you. I want to be happy too and its really hard right now. I have never commented before but this touched me so deeply. Thank you for writing this. We need to be more truthful and open about how truly hard motherhood is. Much love to you

Thank you, Crystal. Much love in return. I think there is freedom in being real and in that freedom we have the realization that we’re really doing better than we thought and that others have struggles too.

I cried also when I read this as a mom of twin four year old boys. I love them more than anything in the world but also feel overwhelmed at times when work is busy and they are fighting, house is a mess, etc……. I just take a deep breath and think hard that these times are going to pass. I know I will look back and want them to be little again even though this is crazy. ha! LOVED your article and so many can relate, not just myself. Thanks again for those kind and inspiring words. Happy Holidays from one busy mom to another!!!

Today. I cried. And cried. My kids hugged me. My husband hugged me. And I just kept crying. Everyone asking what was wrong and how they could help. I had no words. I couldn’t put the feelings that you wrote above into words. I spent my day somber. Trying to get by and trying to understand myself and how to describe my feelings. I put my kids to bed. Opened my facebook and there was this post in my feed. I read it. And I cried. This is exactly it. What I was feeling. But couldn’t piece together. Thank You. I sent it to my husband. Bc I couldn’t have said it any better. and I’ll take the advice. And work on one small thing again. Thank You.

Thank you for this very thoughtful blog. As a mom full-time working mom to two teenaged girls & a 12 year old boy I find that I am constantly tired & that I have to fake having fun. There is so much pressure to be the “perfect mom” that we mom’s miss the journey.

I thought it was something I’d done, maybe I needed therapy, or a maid, maybe it was PPD, or maybe I needed to completely let go of keeping a semi clean house all together. But no, this is it. This is why I cry at night and feel guilty for not parenting my 5 yo with glee while having 2 infants. I really lost the happy and tears and stress have replaced it. I’m glad I’m not alone in this. I really want to let go and be happy again.

Ok, I’m signing up for the club!
I’m mama to a 5yr old girl and a week old baby boy and this has been a really stressful week, juggling, managing, sleeping and settling into life with two little people and Christmas to plan.
I have always been such a happy fun person and your post has helped me get back on that track – of course, we lose our real selves at times in the relentless end of laundry, hoovering, cooking, working and school runs, but I am determined to make 2015 fun for my ‘play with me mamma’ daughter and for me, and try to leave her ‘five more mins hunny’ hunny mamma somewhere else.

Im failing…mother of a 6.5 yo and twin 2.5 yos…all boys…working full time….and Im failing…with the boys….failing at work and..add to that failng as a wife. I just cant seem to make it all work…as much as I want to change, I just have not been successful…chalk up another failure.

Your post is great, but it only serves to remind me that I am failing at yet something else..dont think I remember what laughter means…its been that long.

I wish you and the other moms that posted comments luck in 2015 and making this a happy year. Love to you all and happy holidays!!

Marcelle, I hope that since you have posted your comment to this article that you have had a chance to rest. To catch your breath. Honey, we all fail. I know I fail daily. I think, as moms, we put more pressure on ourselves to be all and do all. We expect far more out of us than anyone else does. It may seem like you are pulled in all directions between the house, the job, the kids, and significant others in your life. But I want you to know you are not alone. You’re not the only one. I’m praying encouragement into your life. I’m praying that friends and family will speak a word or two that lighten up your load, that even random acts of kindness from strangers will bring a smile to your face. I’m praying that you see the joy and love in your children’s eyes.

“Sometimes sometimes sometimes it’s easy to lose us and our happy in the midst of this crazy life journey with twenty plus years of motherhood tucked in the middle.”

So true. The sacrifice of self for our children and husbands is truly a sacrifice. Our wants and needs are no longer the #1 priority. HOWEVER, we do still need to take care of ourselves. Enjoying a few moments each day can go a long way towards regaining some joy and happiness. Thanks, Rachel, for sharing so openly; this mom appreciates it.

You know, over the summer, I made an instagram hashtag #happymom because I wanted to do exactly this. Remember how to be happy. But then… you know, life happened and I forget about it a lot. Thanks for the reminder. I’m bringing back the hashtag in 2015.

When I say this I’m sure I will be judged or scoffed at. I’m a single stay at home mother of one. More times than not I feel this way too. I love on a fixed income due, due to complications after giving birth I cannot work. It is stressful trying to support myself and my daughter on an income meant for someone living in a nursing home. My house stays a wreck, my personal life is in shambles, but I have my daughter and that’s the silver lining. God has truly blessed me. I have decided to give up the stereotype of the “perfect mom” and just go with it. It’s taken 8 years but I doing it. Your posts especially the strength of a mother post has touched my heart. I thought I’d share despite always having chronic pain and stress I try to deal with the happiness part by letting go. I ask myself is it worth having a spotless home and being grumpy and hateful toward!my blessing? Is it worth her picking up that behavior herself? So I leave the glitter in the floor until I can get to it. But being truly happy and playing the boring board games and focusing is hard. Thank you for your post and I’ve decided not to let the glitter on the floor bother me and make me feel terrible and realize it’s not selfish to sit in my chair reading posts from different moms and reading my bible and exploring pinterest is ok. I have to find the old me again so my daughter and I will enjoy our time together before she hits that dreaded stage of “drop me off around the corner” and the threat of walking her into school in my pjs and unfixed hair is not a laughing matter.

I sooooo needed this right now especially during the holidays when we should be happiest. I’m losing it with the stress of gift buying, wrapping, planning Christmas meal, making sure house is in order, all the while being interruped every 2 seconds with “mom where’s ___; mom so & so hit me, mom I’m hungry, mom I need to go to the bathroom, but I’m scared & don’t want to go by myself, mom can you play with us” etc etc. I do want to play, but that means leaving all that other to do stuff undone, which leaves me staying up until midnight or later getting it done as quietly as I can so I don’t wake anyone then getting less sleep, which leaves me a big cranky pants & resentful towards my husband whose snoring away. Yes this made me feel better & I know we’re not alone, but most days it sure feels like it. I do have that one thing I do for myself to try & bring the happy back & to get rid of the frustration & be myself, but I’m finding that it’s causing conflict in the family so now I have to adjust my thing that helps me stay sane so the rest of the family can try to run smoothly. It doesn’t seem fair, but it’s what we do. Motherhood is the hardest job yet the most rewarding & I can’t imagine my life without my 3 kiddos, but boy someone should have told me about this part vs just the highlights.

I’m so relieved it’s not just me. I have often wondered lately why I can’t seem to be happy or have fun anymore. Overall, I just feel stressed, sad, or angry most of the time. Finances stress me out, and my kids’ constantly asking for new things makes me feel guilty that I can’t buy them that $200 lego set that they asked Santa for, or the $400 power wheels toy. I feel angry that I signed myself up for student loans years before I met my husband, back when I thought I would never get married or have kids, so now I have to work to pay those loans off, and more guilt that can’t be home with my little ones. And I feel sad that I seemed to have lost the person I used to be, the person I was when I was in my 20’s. I love my children more than life itself and would do it all over again, but it doesn’t change those nagging feelings that get to me every day. Those feelings creep in when I am trying like mad to get everything done in a day, and can never get it all done because I’m constantly interrupted or derailed. I can’t seem to remember to let go of all of that and be present in the moment. I know someday I will miss these days, but right now I feel like I’m just treading water and trying to survive.

Thank you. I am worn out. Day nine of nasty cold virus attacking my family…husband has it the worst (sinus infrction). I am worn out and not happy. Moms don’t get to take sick days.. I envy my 7, 5.5 and 2 year olds’ ability to be oblivious to all the things needing to be done around the house and just play. Or to be able to sit down and not have a to do list a mile long on my brain.

It was so refreshing to read this today…to realize I am not alone. Thank you.

I recently lost my die-hard optimism…maybe I can find it again someday soon. 🙂

Sometimes I try to have fun with my kids – but it is during those times that I realize I can’t force happiness. I just have to let go of some of my responsibilities and go with the new flow of children pulling me down to their level of what the world is like.

Being a single mom to a sassy 5 year old princess, I can relate to this all too well. Thank you for writing this. Sometimes it hard to remember to be happy even though you want to scream. Playing games can be torture. I love my little artist but sometimes, okay most times, she draws a tiny animal in the center of an entire piece of paper and the rest gets thrown into the garbage before I can stop it. But you are right. Take it one day at a time, cherish it and relax.

I love this so much. I made two simple resolutions for New Year’s, and one of them was to have fun with my kids. I felt so embarrassed that this was my oh-so-needed resolution that I didn’t tell a SOUL – I mean, shouldn’t that be a given as a parent? But I get caught up in the urgent and the rest, just like you. I have a long ways to go on this, but I am trying each day to do one little thing to have fun with my kiddos. And oh, the days when I do are so great. Just 10 minutes of chasing them around the house while they laugh is the best.

As a mother of 5 girls, I sobbed reading this. We as mother’s have a lot on our plates and sometimes can be too critical of one another instead of empathetic and supportive. I appreciate this so dearly. Thank you for sharing and allowing us to come together in truth and in a safe place to realize we are not alone. Cheers to being Happy and not feeling guilty about it. Xoxo

I’m not a mom (I’m a dad!) but I know exactly how all of this feels. Both my partner and I have felt these concerns and similar thoughts of “why am I not fun anymore” and constant feeling of suckage and self-loathing and self-deprecation and WE BOTH REALLY NEEDED THIS. I read it out to her. We really needed it.

Thank you. Thank you! I’ve been struggling so much lately with trying to enjoy motherhood. I remember having my first and it was hard, but it felt so special! Now that I have three kiddos, pets, a daycare…library books are due, lunches to make, everyone is bickering, the house never feels clean…I feel a little like I’m drowning. I don’t want to just get through it, I want to be happy! Little steps I suppose! Your words are so real and they needed to be said! ❤

Well said! I have felt that way a lot, even now as my kids are in middle school and high school. Cherish the fun moments, laughing and playing and making messes and being the fun happy mom, because the older they get, the faster they seem to grow up. (And you hit the nail on the head about Candyland, ha ha. Monopoly is even worse.

Thank you for inspiring me to take time out with my kids – guilt free and try and laugh. I am trying to do one happy thing a day. Today we laughed whilst playing eye spy on the way back from school. Thank you x

What a great article. Couldn’t have been shared at a better time. As a mom of 7, I cannot tell you how many times I feel this way. Some days are great, most feeling tragically exhausting. Thanks for sharing and reminding us all that it’s o.k. to feel this way.

this post speaks to me. I have three boys that are 5,4 and almost a year old. My days and nights are exhausting. Some days I get a glimmer of happy and I know that it is possible for me to feel it but it is a lost emotion these days. Thank you for giving this feeling a voice.

I liked reading your post. Yes it is true this will pass..I have 8 kids ranging from 13 on down. I think we fool ourselves into thinking we have to entertain and be fun all the timIn our house I got really run down keeping up and something had to be done. I enlisted ALL my children in helping with the house and themselves. We started doing cleaning games, contests, dinner, chores, prizes, etc. In turn this helped us to have fun, enjoy jobs and spend time. I think we all have breaking points but seriously we all need to just show our kids love.

This is exactly what I was thinking as I was brushing my teeth tonight. Where did my happiness go? Did I ever have it? I needed to read this. As my kids would say “it’s like you read my mind”. Nope, I’m a mom. I know exactly what you need or want. It’s my superpower. My new superpower is going to be doing something for me one time per day WITHOUT guilt, because I’m a mom and I deserve it.
Thank you.

Thank you Rachel,
So good as usual. You are changing lives with your ministry. Thank you for being real and for putting into words and validating how many of us feel. I am going to make it my first priority to laugh and smile with my children when they come home from school today 🙂
Laurie

I’m the stressed mom. The phone always in hand to do work mom. Just this morning my preschooler told me to put my phone in my “cubby” while we did Legos. I am actually putting college on hold after going for a few years because I’m so stressed. Today I’m going to put my phone away, put off the housework, and just play. Thank you for reminding me.

I desperately needed this article today. Thank you. I work full time and am working on my MBA at 3am every morning, have three kids (1, 3, and 7), an amazing husband who was laid off a few months ago and is now also going back to school, and I feel I’ve lost my joy in the midst of all of this goodness! It felt good to know I’m not alone in the struggle for balance.

what a beautiful thing to read. I was asking myself the past few days ‘am I doing enough?’ . I feel like I’m neglecting some part of my children’s lives, are they getting enough attention, are they having enough fun? Are they seeing too much of the stress that comes along with parents that work wonky shifts and are searching long and hard for the perfect balance?

There’s a never ending checklist in my brain and I plan on adding a few happy moments to it. A happy mom equals a happy family. Thank you Rachel for this read. It was a great reminder. 🙂

Oh thank you, your words ring so true and explain exactly how I’m feeling. The guilt and the pressure I put on myself. Thank you so much for your words of comfort and inspiration.
Lara (Melbourne, Australia)

I to live in the frozen tundra of Minnesota and can resonate with your article so much. I felt like you were speaking right to me. What great advice for moms! Hard to see the blessings right in front of us some days and even harder to appreciate them. I too am working at it and love knowing that there are others out there that feel the same way. Thank you so much for sharing , your honesty was so enlightening.

Thank you so much for this! After 20 years of parenting, you’d think I have it all figured out…well not really. This post really hit home & helped me realize I’m not alone. ive been struggling to figure out what I was feeling, why I didn’t enjoy playing games anymore. Why I can’t answer the question of what makes me happy, me not the kids or the spouse or the grandparents or my friends…me. What do I want to do??? Now I realize…in the hustle & bustle of creating a family and raising my kids…I forgot how to be happy. I continually put myself on the back burner to be present for my kids & spouse, always striving to make sure they are happy that I forgot how to make myself happy. I’m always so busy trying to put on the right mask that I don’t know how to be real, to be happy. Thank you for putting into words what I feel inside and don’t don’t know how to express.

Thank you for this post. I feel the same way. I’ve mastered running the house and getting things done and getting people to where they need to go. But I’ve totally lost the “happy.” 🙁 I find praise music works sometimes. But, as a newly single mom, sometimes it doesn’t. I enjoy reading your blog which gives me a sense of being in this together!

I think especially in the “Pinterest/social media everyone can be a perfect parent behind the veil of a keyboard” age the struggle to be present and have fun is real. Guilt creeps in no matter what we do and we doubt. It is the biggest part of parenthood I was entirely not prepared for. Thanks for putting it out there and sharing 🙂

If life has taught me anything, it’s that being a grandparent is much different than being a parent. Becoming a grand parent at a young age has also helped me to become a better dad to my older kids. My kids and my grand kids are the people who I prefer to be around, more than any… and play is what you make it, from what I have experienced. It’s more enjoyable when you just bring them into the loop and learn together. Great post!

I love this post. I have two boys and one is autistic and nonverbal at age 4. I get so wrapped up in the speech and therapy and teaching and patience and hoping and crying that I sometimes honestly forget that Cooper is just a little boy. I go numb and on auto pilot just to make it through. And it’s not fair to either of my boys. This post is great. And you are doing an amazing job mama. Head up!

This is so true. Loved the part about the games (I am not sure I will ever be able to easily get through a game of Candy Land – ha). One thing I did that has helped alot, was to not compare myself to others (I know its a natural tendency for us moms, but I try…). Not compare how clean my house is to theirs, or how many outings my kids go on compared to theirs, or how many date nights or flowers I get, compared to “her”, or whether my make up is put on and I am in cute shoes like “she” is. Sometimes this means turning off the Facebook feed. Sometimes it means just reassuring myself in my head that I have giftings in certain areas, and short comings in others. I will work on my short comings – but I certainly cannot compare them to “her” giftings. I have one child with severe asthma, and we have had many hospital stays and close calls, etc. Sometimes, as scary as they were, those ER visits where a blessing. It was that point I just had to let everything else go, and focus on that child and that moment. It was tough. Bills still had to be paid. Mouths fed. Sleep fit in somewhere. But I learned to do things like walk through the hospital with my sick kiddo and fall in love with the fish tank we could gaze at, or the special drink he loved in the cafeteria. When hard times came in other areas, I would do the same thing. Lay in bed with my kids when they were sick, and think – I am so thankful I have this comfy bed, and a washer and dryer to clean up their messes with! Or when I was broke, take a minute away from work and walk with my kids through the woods and point out the magical kingdom we found there. They named it Princess land instead of the woods – and talk about to this day! For me I found focusing on the things I had to be grateful for brought the joy back. I get that is not easy in tough circumstances…and is not a judgement on anyone else. Just a tip of what helped me find those special moments to enjoy with my kids, when it felt like life was overwhelming me and might just swallow me up 🙂

I’m almost 70 and have very grown children with grandchildren. I have lost my ‘HAPPY’ feeling helpless because none of their troubles, I’m able to control. I too, can’t enjoy my grandchildren or play wit them because my mind is cluttered with unfinished things. I find I’m not alone. My grandmother friends for the most part are loosing happy also.
Thank you for writing and helping us see more clearly.

Wow!! I needed to read this, especially after the day I’ve had today. I think this entire article was written totally about me. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said “I’m a bad mom. I’m not the mom I want to be”. I sure wish motherhood (or at least my kids) would have come with an owner’s manual.

Hey I know how those days felt. I have a 3 tear old boy. There are some suggestions: get dad involved. Get support from your family, friends, community, babysitter. When the house is a crazy mess and you just can’t deal with it, if finances permit, take kids out somewhere fun and call a cleaner. Take the pressure off your shoulder. We tend to think we need to be super heroes. And we are a lot of times. But if we don’t take breaks to rest and re-energize you will run in low steam and burnt out. It’s just a real bad place to go. If you can’t afford taking all kids to daycare take the oldest. Maybe pre school or a sport. It’s totally understandable how you feel but remember that you deserve to rest and some me time and make a plan. I hope that helps.

I cannot express how much I can relate to you! I was just telling my friend last week that I do not know how to be happy anymore and do not know how to fix it. She just sent me this link and you nailed it! I guess I never looked at it as doing one thing a day that makes me happy, instead I looked at it as “what is wrong with me, why can I not find joy in anything anymore” looking at the whole picture. I look at my husband and how happy he is when he plays with our girls and get jealous. Especially when the “to do” list constantly runs through my mind. Then I become angry because I feel like I do it all. I don’t do it all, but at the moment that is what it feels like. Selfish is what I feel and jealous, but I have been trying to get out of the house on my days off to do things with my girls. I have found that I can have fun and enjoy my girls when out of the home because I do not think of my “to do” list. Thank you for posting this article! I actually got teary eyed reading it because I feel exactly as you described… guilty! You are a great mom!

Thank you so much for being beyond honest and writing this. This article represents the way I have felt since my youngest started walking and talking. Just the other day I found myself in tears while doing dishes and thinking about all the time I didn’t sit and play with my kids that day. It can be more difficult being a stay at home mom than most may think. I don’t have “all the time in the world” to do w/e I want. I think most of us also put more on our shoulders because we stay home. I’m home all day, nothing should be out of place or have a speck of dust on it or I have failed my family. Yes, that is how I feel most days. I exhaust myself. I’ve been on the verge of thinking something must be wrong with me, I should feel more happiness. I pray everyday for God to help me have the strength to overcome my own crazy, out of control mind and to let me just take a breathe and relax. I find myself just letting go sometimes and singing at the top of my lungs to Taylor Swift while dancing in the living room with my kids, I think “why can’t I always be like this”. I feel that for most of us the key is finding BALANCE. I’m working on it, and flat out struggling with it…..but I won’t give up.

Wow!! I have been having a difficult time the past few years and this is exactly how I have been feeling. Where is the happy? Where us the fun? I feel like I am constantly running. There is always some chore that needs to be done! Thank you soo much for putting your experience into such eloquent words. It really does help to know that there are others going through the same thing. Most of the mom’s I know seem to have it all together. Thank you again for your words and bringing hope back into my days ☺

A lot of days I wonder if “todays” struggle is the one that will leave a permanent memory/scar. I wonder how many times i can say “I’m sorry, please forgive me. I’m just having a _______ day” Fill in the blank. Bad. Tiring. Frustrating. Overwhelming. But when your kid looks at you and says “you’re always tired” it’s so hard not to feel like a failure. It’s difficult to give more when you’re all burned out. I hate seeing the disappointment in their faces when all I want is to be left alone.The mental fatigue far surpasses the physical most days. So, I needed to read this today. Thank you for writing it.

I started reading, and until the first “picture break” I wondered if I had the right article!? So hard to universally define “happy.”
I find the things mentioned at first as “fun.” I love scrambling with late laundering of baseball pants. The suspense if the dryer will *bing* “finished” or I’ll be forced to rip them out “unfinished” and thrust them at my son (all the while hoping they are dry enough that he doesn’t get jock itch.) I have snickered, then belly laughed at my kid’s meltdowns, then watched them turn into shared laughter before we just surrender and go make chicken nuggets for dinner and watch Cartoon Network. I have been missing a key dinner ingredient (or milk…again,) surveyed my kids grubby, mismatched appearances, decided they would be perfect on a “Save the Children” commercial yet we packed up and tackled the grocery store anyway. I’ve wiped noses with the inside bottom of my t-shirt, slept with a blanket…on a bare mattress…with a sick kid because I’m out of clean sheets at 4am and am so sleepy I can’t remember my own name. I have prayed for silence and peace when I’m sick, (as my husband travels for work,) while the kids wallow all over the bed (and me) eating my saltines and forcing me to listen/watch 1,000 episodes of Spongebob. The list truly goes on for miles….ugly, hard, crazy, funny, messy, tiring, humbling and beautiful moments.
With the right attitude and perspective, I think you can redefine “happy.” It’s not super pretty and It does take some time, effort, and a healthy sense of humor to see, but it’s worth it. 🙂

Thank you for this. I feel like this a lot lately with my 8 year old daughter, I work full time, go to grad school part time, and I am a single mother. I have had most of my family members say that I should have not returned to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner because I am depriving my child of I quote “a good summer because you have homework”. I think society has this idea that mothers are only to tend to the home and kids, however we are not in the 1960s anymore! Thanks again for the good read, you hit it spot on!

Ahh..been feeling this for way too long. Summer is here..kids home all day needing entertainment. DH..guess what-tonight you may come home to dishes in the sink, oh and that load of laundry I forgot to pull from the washer last night ridden with mildew smell needing a 2nd wash(promise you’ll have clean underwear in the am!) Didn’t make it to the grocery today..have no fear..kids at least had milk with breakfast. And YAY..it’s pizza party night for dinner..the kids are so excited..BON APPETITE!
I got this 🙂

Very well spoken. It can be very hard to be a fun and happy mom when you are trying to keep the house a float so to speak. There are some days I focus on getting things done, but then I realize I need to spend some of that time just playing with my girls. Thanks again for the well spoken words. I always look forward to your encouraging posts.

Thank you. On top of going back to school full time (which is extremely stressful in and of itself), I have an unsupportive spouse who has told me “it’s amazing you have any friends with how Eyeore-ish you are”. Sometimes I feel like I’m swimming upstream, but I love my girls more than anything and it helps give me motivation to keep doing as best as I can! I’m (selfishly) glad to see that other folks are going through this, and that I’m not alone.

Thanks for posting this… I feel this even moreso, being I am a single mom, work full time as a nurse and have minimal support from ex-husband or family. More often than not I feel like I am not doing a good job, like you said, all you want is some validation that you are doing the best you can and hug after another exhausting day.

Yes! Yes! Yes! I just went back to work after about two years home. Ugh! I’m exhausted…like can’t keep my eyes open exhausted. My kiddos didn’t get the memo on how to react to mom going back to work. You know the memo that instructs them that they must go to bed the first time I ask. So the with the exhaustion in high gear, I feel like a runaway train just trying to get things done that MUST get done. Then I feel guilty because I’ve yelled for 30 minutes telling all four kids to please, just get in the shower. Or I feel guilty because we are eating cereal for dinner or bagels for dinner. And I keep wondering when this will get easier? Because it never gets easier.

The hardest part of this season is just trying to enjoy it…just a little. I know these days are numbered. And hoping that I don’t punch the next person in the grocery store that says “these are the days of your lives”.

Thank you for this, this is the part where we get lost. I have tried to forgive myself until I finally did. All those uncontrollable bitter feelings where you are outside of yourself watching the chaos and having the expectations that someone will help you when they see that you haven’t washed the puke and pee out of your hair in three days. Somehow they miss that. It is about NOT having those expectations because noone can live up to them, which is hard to swallow I know. But just being okay with what is temporary anyway. We can love that we are the mom who doesnt get to wash or bathe for three days because that IS possible for us. We can do anything, and no one can but us for our children. So, the bitterness ends when we forgive our expectations and love who we are for being so strong. Forgive mom, she is superhuman.

Always such wise words. I have a 17, 14, and 11 year old at home, and I teach 8th graders. I always struggle coming home from a full day of teaching and teenage drama to my own children. Maintaining patience, enthusiasm, and happiness after work for my own kids is the exhausting challenge I face. My youngest, at age 5, had the perfect and most profound advice…”Mommy, you need to take off your teacher pants and put on your mommy pants. Then you’ll feel better.” So, for six years and counting, that’s what I do; I take ten minutes to swap roles (and pants). Not a 100% happiness guarantee, but pretty close.

Wow. Ditto. What a struggle it is. And honestly, I quit reading most Mom blogs, because all they do is make me feel more inadequate, like I should be doing more. But, it’s hard. How can we even cut ourselves slack when see other moms seeming to have it all together? That part about making glitter snowflakes, so much yes.

I never comment on these things, but have to thank you for explaining just how many of us feel deep down. Lord knows how many times I’ve cried in the shower, hidden from their happy faces, wondering how I could possibly get it all done and still have an abundance of time for the fun things. Gotten frustrated at myself for failing to be everything….every other mother does it why can’t I? It’s nice to hear it’s not as easy as every other mother makes it out to be. Thank you!

Okay. Please don’t judge. Life is too short to worry that the photos that we share are met with the scrutiny of others. I’m opening up my soul, my heart, my family to you only to be met with paradigms and judgments. Sometimes you don’t know the behind the picture….
with joy.
Rachel

I lost my son to cancer three years ago. You would think (as I did) that it would somehow make me appreciate my time with my other kids more, you would think I would appreciate life more, you would think I’d want to make an effort to utilize my time more wisely, you would think I would do everything in my power to be closer to my other children….but it hasn’t happened and I hate myself, I hate cancer and I feel completely disconnected from everything and everyone. Especially my children. When the five of them are singing, all I can hear is the silence of the one who is gone. When they take a photo together, all I see is an empty space. I was gone for a year, torn away from my family, out of state while my son fought for his life. It was just me and him under unexplainable, intense, horrific situations…..my other children grew up so much during that time. In returning after his death, I was in shock. I missed our close connection, I missed the opportunity to fight for him, I lost over a year with my children, with my husband. I’ve come a long way, and I do try to make an effort, I really do, but it almost feels too late. Like they’ve grown too much, and I don’t know what to do with them anymore. They’re older now, which is lovely as they don’t NEED my attention the same way they used to, but I miss that close connection we ALL once had. That’s why I’m not always the happy mom. But I am a grateful mom, and I believe my kids have given me much grace and that they understand why I struggle…and I hope that they see when I DO make the effort, that I love them all very much……..

A key point in sharing “happy” moments with my kids came from finding things that we both enjoyed. As parents we do a lot of things for our kids’ enjoyment/growth that we don’t necessarily enjoy. For example, I often took my kids to playgrounds (where I had to chase and guard them from falls every second) and that was good for them, but not my source of happiness–to me it was stressful and tedious. But, at night before bedtime stories and tucking them in, we sometime had “snuggle parties”. A blanket on the floor in the living room, Tom Paxton on the record player, candles up high where no one could knock them over, and we would just hang out on the blanket and enjoy the music. The kids would often dance about and be silly, we sang, and we snuggled, and it was all just the kind of peaceful play that made ME happy!
My advice: don’t feel guilty if parenting isn’t always fun (it is hard work), but do find things you can share with your kids that do truly make you happy. The memories will bring you happiness again and again.

Thank you for this Jenny!!!! I totally feel this way and felt so alone wondering why I don’t enjoy playing with dinosaurs and cars all the time. But I love watching Octonauts with them! So I will do that and feel happy and not worry about it. THANK YOU for admitting that you don’t like things they like and are ok with that. You saved me!

Thank you Thank you Thank you! I live this reality every day and every day I struggle with finding the happy part! It is as if you read my mind and put it on paper. It feels good to know that I am not alone and that I share this crazy thing called motherhood with brave moms like you!!

Wow. Wow. Wow. This is me. This is my season in life. Most days I wonder what happened to the happy. And I can’t even bring myself to laugh. Or smile. Because there’s just so much to do and so much to deal with. And amidst it all, one feels so utterly alone. Sigh. Thank You for this reminder. Today, I will endeavor to find my happy, a happy. Hopefully, the first of many. Thank You.

I sit here in tears even 6 months after you posted this because you have described exactly where I am at right now! I thank you so much for your post and cannot express how much it helps to know that I am not alone!

Thank you. I needed this today. As a single mom of 3, i feel this most days. along with the guilt of either not spending enough time with them, then with them and not getting everything else done. reminds me to be happy in the moment.

Love that I found this article, as two of our three are in college I look back and know I was a good Mom, but also I know I wasn’t a happy Mom. I wanted to be there with all my heart I just lost the joy somewhere along the way. That’s ok I look back and they all know how loved they are and how much they mean to us. Their Dad is happy man and I think we just took our roles and didn’t change them. The kids call him Disney dad he’s fun and I sometimes think there’s not room for two of those parents. Loved the article

This brought tears to my eyes and made me feel less alone. Thankyou for writing what so many people feel but can’t or won’t say. I am having a day where I’m down on my self and feeling guilty for so many things that I can and some I can’t control. This has lifted me up and helped me to feel a little less upset with myself:)

You put to words everything I’ve been feeling. With two little ones, 5 and 3, I struggle daily with coming out of the chaos and frustration to find an ounce of joy. My best friend always says, it’s just the season that we’re in. I needed this encouragement today, so thank you.

Yesterday (or maybe it was the day before, I can’t seem to tell anymore) my oldest (2) started singing on the way to daycare. I turned off the music and just listened to the lighthearted wonder of a 2YO singing at 7am in the backseat of my car. It made me realize that those are the moments, my mommy moments. They may only last 5 minutes, which makes them all more important to catch.

Thank you for this.. As a single mother of 3 children UNDER 5.. Tears poured as I read this. I’m def going to try ‘me’ time & try to be a happy mom for my babies, but as you said its hard!
I feel like a horrible mom because they always fight so i’m always refereeing……
Thank you.. I look forward to your future posts

Thank you for this. I so need this. It’s so easy to forget the happy when you are a single mom without any support from anyone. The list of things to do just gets overwhelming and it makes me want to crawl in a hole and not come out for a year but I can’t because I have to work, work and work some more to make sure my daughter has all she needs. And on days when I get 3 hours or less of sleep, I snap at the littlest things, then I feel guilty because I feel I’m not the mom my daughter deserves. And when my daughter misbehaves, I worry if I am raising her well, if I am doing enough. It’s easier to feel like a failure than be the happy mom when you have so much on your plate. But at the end of the day, when all is peaceful and quiet, I lie down and hug my daughter, listen to her softly breathing beside me, the tears are all worth it because she is my happy.

Absolutely love this article, it is so true and exactly what so many moms think each and every day. No one ever shares with us when we find out we are going to be having kids all the downsides of that, the long late nights sleep deprived, the temper tantrums that take us to our breaking point, the personal meltdowns that we face on a weekly basis feeling like we failed as parents and wonder if we can go on. Lol
They only talk about all the great things and I love that you share the real issues we all face, so people know they aren’t alone in feeling what they feel. I know just a short time ago I was feeling all those unpleasant feelings and more. I was tired, stressed daily, not focused on the little things I could do to make our lives better and enjoy the time we had together. Then I had a friend share something with me and I have to say it helped so much, I was not crashing after dinner so exsusated from the day, I was in a better mood and was able to focus on getting stuff done to allow me more time to do what was enjoyable with them. I found Thrive by LeVel and it has given me the ability to be a better mom, wife and person. Rachel if you are ever interested and want to see if this could help you too I’d love to send you some for free to try. I know it’s made a difference for us and I am very grateful for that!!
Have a great day!!!

Thank you so much Rachel. As I sit here, just having finished cleaning the living room/my bedroom of its incredible mess that ended up being built up in the last two weeks, listening to my five year old complain about how its too hard to clean up her toy room/the used-to-be dining room with the threat that no mom ever really goes through with of “I will throw away the toys left on the floor in an hour!”, I saw this pop up on my facebook streak and took the time to read it. I really needed this. Thank you Rachel, you amazing mommy, you.

“But sometimes I feel guilt. Guilt about not being more present or laughing more or having fun or not doing all the cool things that I think my kids deserve. ”

So much this! Sometimes I feel guilty because I can’t concentrate on playing dolls and stuff like that; I get bored. My mind wanders. A four year old’s narrative only has so much depth. lol. But we can draw together for hours. She just doesn’t always want to do that. Haha. But, yeah. Guilt is such a destructive and useless emotion.

It is 9pm, youngest asleep and my oldest is talking/playing/watching tv in the playroom…I sat on the couch wondering why I wasn’t playing with him…and then I opened my facebook and there was your blog…I read it with tears streaming down my face, feeling every word you wrote…feeling grateful that I am normal! It is summer vacation for us and I have decided that instead of hoping they play nice and with each other, I will make sure to play and to join the water fights, and leave the dishes in the sink and laundry unfolded…I will not let summer go by without enjoying my children…Thank you for opening my eyes and validating my feelings/life!!

I think I’ve lost myself in the special needs life, and I have it easy compared to many, many parents! Sometimes I think autism took the music out of my life (because my son couldn’t stand it) and that was the beginning of the end.

Wait, why are we spending so much time playing Candyland with our kids? And “helping” them with homework? (doing it for them?) And all that other crazy stuff? Please excuse my ignorance, because right now my kids are only two and in utero (twins).

Maybe we are making this mom job a lot harder than it should be? I don’t remember ever playing Candyland with my mother when I was a kid. I played board games with the other neighborhood girls, when the weather wasn’t good enough to run around outside just being kids. When it came to schoolwork, if I asked my mother for help, she would tell me that she had already been to school. And if I didn’t do my homework when I was supposed to have it done, then I had better be ready to face up to the consequences when the teacher asked the work that was assigned to ME (not my mother)! Harsh, I know, but I think I am a better person for it? Having learned to function on my own and accept personal responsibility.

Let’s all be happy moms, and stop micromanaging our kids’ childhoods! Then maybe fun family together time can really be fun! And our kids will thank us for letting them grow into capable adults.

Random thoughts from Sandy: Just don’t eat food to be happy is all I have to say. I’m 60, mom of nine, grandmother to 11. I forgot about me for about 20 years, and put on nearly 60 pounds. I joined Weight Watchers, and got all of the extra weight off. Take a little time for yourself along the way. Say no when there is no way you can possibly do something, but say yes when it feels right, and enjoy the moment. Bathing the grandbaby–sit on the edge and soak your feet, and splash with him, take him on a walk even if it is hot, and let him spray you with the spray fan. Don’t try for perfection all of the time. Heck, most of the time. Do find your joy and happiness, as someone told me you can’t get tea out of an empty tea pot, so refill yourself. Find humor in the fact that you thought about washing the blue spot of plague discloser off of your new sofa before you ran out of the door, and you didn’t, and whichever child accidentally spit the blue stuff on your sofa, noticed it, and cut the fabric circle out, so the white batting below showed–true story. Laughed my head off….and patched it. Seriously, sofa soon was a little grungy and you had to look to find the patch. Life with children is busy and it is hard, but take time to stop and laugh once in awhile. Do little things that make you happy, and hire a sitter, or trade with a friend, and get out of the house once a week. Go get a soda pop while gassing up your car without any kids–leave them with the husband. Seriously, it will go wrong as they don’t really watch kids. Well, maybe some, do, but mine did a horrible job so I didn’t ask him too often. Single moms have it the worst–help one out, and that will really make your day. Smile. When you notice your face is frozen in a grimace….relax and smile. People need to see your smile. Find joy in the little stuff. You can do it.

I am a mom of four kids. One grown, and 3 small boys. The oldest is five and twins that will be three next month. My husband is deployed and though we have somehow managed to almost make it to the half way point, there are many days, sometimes endless moments in a day or even multiple days in a row that I find myself searching to see if I can even remember happy.
Over stressed and overwhelmed often lately, I needed to read this. Thank you for the reminder and grounding me again if only just for a moment. I’m so tired of being tired, cranky and mean. It’s not how I want my boys to remember me when they remember their childhood.
It’s so easy to forgot you are not alone. Thank you for the reminder.

I loved reading this post. I am in the middle of motherhood and am trying to learn to enjoy the journey. I have been a mom for almost 17 years and at times feel like I know less about it now then when I started to have my family. Last year, when I turned 39 years old I knew I needed to change. My life was so full of fear, doubt and insecurity and a lot of anxiety. I was trying to control every situation as a mother, a wife and a women. I prayed for help to God and He helped me start a journey of recovery. Motherhood is hard. Why did I think it would be easy? One thing I have started to do is look for something good each day. I try to share a little goodness each day on my social media. (be.becky) It forces me to look for something good and then be willing to share. It helps to keep me out of my own head of fear. It helps me to count my blessings instead of focusing on the negative. It helps me be me or to become who I am to become. One other thing that has helped my journey is a gratitude journal. As I write down what I am grateful for each night (10 things a night) it helps me look at life through positive and happy eyes. Life is s journey but we are to have joy in it…this I am coming to know.

This is a wonderful article. I had three kids one year apart and worked full time. It was overwhelming most days and I honestly don’t remember a lot from when they were really little. I feel like I remember the good and bad days. Now my youngest will be six at the end of the month. It gets easier. All of mine are now in elementary school and it gets easier. They are only young once and the cleaning and laundry can wait. Play with them laugh with them. The time flies by and you can’t get the time back. Don’t stres about the small stuff!!!

This is just what I need today, and probably a whole lot of days ago. I haven’t had a “Me-Day” in like forever. And being a working mom, I find it really hard to juggle work, housekeeping and mummy duties. Most of the time, when I get home, I am already tired from the hustle of my office work, I plan to take just 5 minutes to recharge and breathe and still can’t. Coz if I get still for a minute, all my “to-do’s” keep on popping in my head and it makes me edgy and itchy that I just brush off my recharge plans and dive in with the chores.

Yesterday, it was already 8:30pm and I haven’t taken my bath (for the day) yet. But my kiddos were in the mood for music. I decided to jam with them, pushed off to later my bath time. And I enjoyed it a looooooooooot! It made me feel so good.

There really is no SOP on how to manage our time and save our strength and keep our sanity in this challenge (and blessing) called ‘motherhood’, guess it’s mostly just finding ways to enjoy the ride and stop feeling guilty about everything. Our chores won’t end in a day. But those are what keep us going. Knowing that I am not alone, I realized that we are all great moms. I hope we find happiness just in that thought.

I am a mom of two boys and a grandmother to one grandson. The fun times I have with him and all the things he says and does made me realize that I never really took the time to enjoy my boys. This is so very sad to me and so I make sure to enjoy every minute with my grandson. I wish I had known a clean house is not the most important thing.

Thank you for this!!! I guess it turns out maybe I am a great mom, just a tired brain overwhelmed mom 🙂 …..oh that glitter made me laugh….I was thinking “what a mess to clean up!” before I even got to that part

Wow, I needed to read this and “hear” this. I pray to find the happy in the day and find more patience when we are doing that Science project and soap goes everywhere and food coloring graces my table or the sink over flows with 2 boys playing in the sink. I love being a mom and it is overwhelming but I yearn to hear the laughter at the end of the halls each day. I need to make that time at the end of the day with them and leave the mess and try not to let the chaos overtake my joy.

I, too had those feelings, but “way back” in 1960’s My girls are grown, with teenagers now. They talk about the same problems. One thing I noticed though – they have it much harder than I did. I was a stay at home mom, they have careers. They also have way more commitments for their kids than I did. My girls each had one kind of lesson or sport – theirs have many. On and on the comparisons go. A bit of advice from a 70+ Grandma – the world will not stop spinning if you drop a chore to have a fun time for an afternoon! Yes, you may have to stay up a half hour longer tonight to clean off the kitchen counters – but your children may remember your moment in time forever. They will be sitting around the table with kids of their own to talk about that great afternoon. From my side of life, “Life is Short” grab all the memories you can1

Mother of 2 steps daughters, two adopted girls, two biological girls and two biological boys. Over the last 10+ years I feel like I’m the game Jenga.. People, events, history, experiences, work, school systems, sports association….you name it. These things have drained significant pieces of me me over the years. Which doesnt sound alarming, being that the main structure remained intact. But over time I’ve become less structurally sound. This sounds funny but anyone who has played the game can visually see what I mean. Here’s to ME winning the game with a smile. Thank you for sharing this article.

Just to say …. you are all doing a fantastic job..
It’s hard and gets harder as they get older , then they turn into adults that are a credit to all of you and that’s a wonderful feeling..
I found motherhood so hard, I was lucky had a hands on husband.. since divorced… our kids now parents and we are proud of them and I can relate to you all..
Keep up the good work and love … and cherish the moments when can…
The household stuff be there when they’ve flown the nest

Happy parents make happy kids. If you cut corners , only you know that , gives you 5 more minutes enjoying them and baking, playing or reading , it’s worth the corner cut xxx

Thanks so much for this post Rachel. I cried reading it on an overwhelming day seemingly on repeat and felt so comforted. I don’t even remember when I last really and truly had fun, laughing until I cried and felt my cares were light . . . but tell myself that it is because I am working so hard to make a home, a life, a standard for our kids. I am doing alright. I will manage. This feeling will be but a shadow in the great memories I am helping to forge right now. I will try to find the moments where and when I can and know you can too. Thanks 😉

This article is perfectly on target and so relatable for every mom. I thank you for the encouragement of continuing on in this path of motherhood that is so very rewarding on so many levels, but exhausting none the less. I am a teacher who thoroughly looks forward to spending what I have labeled the summer months as “relaxing with my four kids.” I try to work in the trips to the zoo, beach, museum, library, and the park- the trips that I remember so vividly as a child in a sea of six other siblings- also while trying to work around the constant work schedule of their law enforcement dad, or trying to plan it so some of their young cousins can join our group as well to foster a great memory for ALL!! :). And through trying so hard to work the stressful baseball playing schedules in amongst the many birthday/ graduation/ communion/ wedding/ anniversary/ shower family parties, I often complain about feeling like I’m being ripped into a million pieces. However, I realize there will be a time that this will be over, and all I’ll desperately long for is the chance to go to ONE MORE of these baseball games to be able to see my kiddo excel in something that was instilled in him by ME to begin with. I’ll look forward to just one more chance to see the joy in his face when he makes contact with the bat and gets a glorious hit, or the complete pride in his eyes when he makes the perfect play and gets the out at second base to end the inning. I’ll always love summertime – that time to “relax with my four kids.” And you know what? I think I’m taking them for a bike ride today to get some ice cream!! 🙂 Thank you again for this article!! It was powerful enough to make me sit down and do a little of what I also love to do….write!
~Virginia

You took every single word out of my heart – and surprisingly, you cooled down my guilt just knowing I am not alone out there. I work from home doing medical transcription and those 15 minutes are always, always longer 😉

Thanks for this share. Brilliant piece to remind us moms we are ALL human. 5 kids, 3 kids or 1 kid.

My 3 kids are all grown up. The oldest girl has 2 children of her own, our middle girl is 28 & our youngest boy is 26. Guess what?….if you keep life real, you too will survive it all graciously! Here are just a few suggestions: don’t compete with other Moms ever, charity really does begin at home, dont spread yourself so thin volunteering….if you have work at home that needs to be done then that is where you should be…..keeping your home organized will give you peace of mind & more time to spend with your kids doing the fun stuff! I found the more organized my home was the less chaos in my life! And ironically the more organized you become the more time you have volunteer. Give your kids chores…they really do love to help. And if it doesn’t work today there is always tomorrow. Always make time for yourself….it rejuvenates your spirit! Give your adults kids the freedom to make mistakes…their mistakes are no longer your responsibility….it does not reflect on your parenting…it really doesn’t! Really, it is the only way they grow and learn. And when you become a Grandma like I did before the younger 2 were gone from home then be a helping Grandma but not a door mat….that child needs to learn to cope with their own babies so they can learn to be a better parent also!
Society needs to quit comparing & judging parents because sometimes your kids will be different than you….that’s ok too!

Always about the mom, or the mother. Keep in mind thus goes for the father’s as well. Myself being one of them. And cheers to single dad’s who have to play the dad AND “mom” role. I’m so busy trying to work, clean, cook, drive the family, yard work, laundry,etc. It’s difficult, as a man feels these same feelings as well, not just the the mom. My kids have a mother thankfully, but I do all the motherly things.

I love the idea of one happy activity. What a great habit, because moms, the before five is the easy part. You can easily clean up where they “missed their target” but the messes get harder. Yes toddlers are physically exhausting but just you wait. When your child gets left off a birthday list, doesn’t make the cheer team, breaks their collar bone, calls from an ambulance after a car wreck or gets their heart broken, these messes are harder to clean up. And they are mentally exhausting. Motherhood is hard. Do get in the habit of looking for happy and taking a little time to refresh. And, Laugh at those little ones! Oh how I wish I had laughed more and they love it when you laugh with them. That’s what they will remember.
And then they leave! And that is hard too.

Thank you for this! Being ever so real. Lately, this is me to a T. And often it’s just way to scary to come out and say it. But we all need to know that we’re not alone. So here’s to finding joy in at least one thing today!

I feel the same way. It’s not even that I forgot how, but I can’t find the time. I go all day & forget to drink water or eat let alone have fun. I’m so busy trying to keep up with what needs to be done, thinking about I the stuff I didn’t do & trying to keep my boys from doing damage to themselves, each other, our things or our home. I’m busy trying to keep everyone safe & healthy that I forget to enjoy. My hubby works hard & is gone all day & he thinks he is missing out while he is at work, but I’m here & I am missing out on everything as well. Sometimes I think the person who invented email & the internet should be shot, because I just wish life was simpler.

I’m not sure if you know this Shelley, but I am a single mom of seven. I do it day after day after day. One day after another. And in it all, at this point, I’ve been determined to find happy again. I hope you can too.

I’m sorry your days are so stressful and joyless. Your website name struck a chord and I knew I had to check it out, and I’m sad to see it’s not full of joy – yet. Let me share a secret with you and all the other too-busy mom’s here. It’s a book called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Check it out on Amazon or at your local library. This book literally changed my life. Literally. My house is always picked up now – or takes but a minute of toy pick-up to get there. It has allowed me to drop that to-do list in the trash and enjoy my kids. Saturday we spent 2 hours at the county fair, then 4 hours watching their daddy race. Saturday we spent 4 hours at the water park and the rest of the day lounging. I promise. It’ll help. Read it. Implement it. Life will become simple enough to pack full of joyful things that you can be present for.

PS, we have a FB group called KonMari Adventures. It’s an awesome place full of inspiration and motivation that keeps you pushing forward when things get hard. For the most part it’s easy, just a bit time consuming, but man is it worth it for a weekend NOT spent cleaning.

HUGS…..& I laugh as I also have tears in my eyes because I know how you feel..or I guess THIS IS HOW I feel…THANK YOU…Rachael!
I kept thinking as the girls slowly went from babyhood to toddlers to bigger kids that it would get “easier”….OH MY GOSH!!!! NO THOUSAND TIMES no…teenagers are just as exhausting and frustrating and ooohhhhh just plain mean sometimes…to a mom who is there for EVERYTHING. Yes, I am oversensitive and that isn’t a strong suit right now in the throng of 3 young ladies..at ages: “13…15(with driving permit) and 18 going to college living at home…So help me God…I need every ounce of help and patience and understanding I can get right now…So I empathize with your current struggle Rachael..because I believe its a circle and the hard parts come back around again….Why? who knows but it doesn’t feel any easier 2nd time around.

Rachel, beautiful and true. As a loving and admiring husband of a mother of 4, how do be the best i can be for such a woman? Laundry. Check. Dishes. Check. Moral support. Check. Picking away at everything in her way. Check. But it just isn’t enough. You don’t mention a husband or father… if you could have him do anything, what would it be?

My 8yr old daughter asked me recently why am I always so serious. My husband told me I need to relax & have fun with the kids. I honestly don’t know how to do that. My daughter is impressionable, her hormones are starting to act up & I need to be constantly on the lookout, teaching them how to look after themselves, be aware of the world, become responsibke adults, clean up after themselves, be respectful to people, etc. Daddy is the fun one. I don’t let my kids paint or do crafts in the house because it just means I/we are going to have to clean up. But my daughter is wary of me. I see the way she looks at me. She is surprised when I laugh at something or if I make a joke. I don’t want my kids to fear me. So, I will try & relax, do something fun with my kids instead of parenting all the time. Because it is hard. Thankfully I am not alone.

A happy moms project! I can relate and am focusing on that. No one tells you hard how it really will be, but I think they key to being a little happier or fining the joys does begin with self-care. This leads to less stres and living in the moment. Great post!

Thank you for this post. I have a 3 year old and a 4 year old and I’ve told friends that I don’t feel any joy anymore. I need the happy! I’ve made a game with my kids that they have to make me laugh 5 times day. You should hear the knock knock jokes that make no sense that my oldest comes up with! But, when they do something totally random that makes me laugh, they get so excited!

I’ve been struggling a lot lately with wondering where MY happy went. I see my husbands happiness and my children’s happiness and even my granddaughters happiness. And I’m jealous of their smiles and laughter and furious with their total lack of care or concern for anything because I’ve always done it all!!!!! Turning to scripture didn’t help. When you read about the Proverbs 31 woman, you see how much she does for everyone around her. You see that her husband is lucky to have her. You see that her children call her blessed. But what you don’t see, is any mention of how SHE feels! One simple short statement at the end of a verse, kind of like it was just tossed in there…..”she will rejoice in time to come”……
Well, I even doing this for almost 25 years now. My children are 24, 19, 14 and I have a 4 year old granddaughter and another granddaughter on the way. When does “time to come” become NOW?
When will I find MY happiness?

Thank you. For being honest, for being real, and for letting people know that they are not alone. No one has it all together and sometimes the hardest part for me to remember is I don’t have to. I want to take my three year old to he zoo and not worry about how long we are there. I want to let her get ALL the blocks out and not try to start putting them away before she is done playing with them. I want to play baseball with my stepson even though I’m horrible at it so he knows that what he wants is important to. Thank you for reminding me.

So nice to read this tonight as I’m laying down after doing 3 loads of needed laundry. It’s tough accomplishing household chores with a 6 yo and 19 month twins! It breaks my heart to know that my patience and energy and attention is focused so much on his little brothers. I try not to be too hard on myself as I know this phase will pass. I need to take it one day at a time. I’m creating my sons’ childhood memories and it’s up to me whether or not they are happy ones. So I make an extra effort when I can to take a few minutes each day to play a favorite game or play on the swingset, just him and me. Thanks for this post. It’s encouraging to know I am not the only mom who feels overwhelmed!

Hi Rachel,
What you have described is exactly how I feel. The happy go lucky me is a distant memory. Motherhood has changed me into a person I no longer recognise. The yelling, the broken record talking. I love my kids with all my heart however they drive me up the bend. Lol I think karma is coming back to bite me. So yes it’s been a very challenging journey and I hope one day I will find the happy me somewhere along the line.

Great article! How us moms really feel but too ashamed to say out loud…..
I have been feeling this way lately and I think we all know in our hearts what we need to do but still lose sight of getting to the end result and this piece is just motivational to keep yourself focused. 😊❤❤❤

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I so needed to read this and it sums up how I feel a lot of the time. It was a perfectly timed reminder and one I desperately needed to hear. Thank you for understanding exactly how so many of us feel.

Dear My Spiritual Mother-Virtual Friend Rachel,
I know you’ve probably received a million amazing emails in response to this incredible post/article you’ve written. I want you to know that I stumbled upon this post in the 60 seconds I had this morning while feeling very down with my 2 kids (a 6 year old and a 4 year old) and running around to get everything down and out of the house. I was crying the whole time I read your post. I could relate to every single word. A MILLION THANK YOU’s for posting this. I needed to read this during this time in my life. And I will pray for you and your family to live in that eternal happiness and bliss that we all seek. Thank you for making me feel better than I have in a long time.
Love and Blessings!

This just popped up in my news feed today. I’ve spent most of the day with tears in my eyes. Sometimes things present themselves for a reason. I’m taking this as a sign. Thank you for articulating my feelings and emotions so perfectly. Tomorrow is another day and I’ll find some happy in it. Xx

yes, you are all too correct. Busy, busy, busy. But we have to stop and smell the roses. So soon they will be off doing their own thing and then we will miss the noise, and the chaos. It will be too quiet. We will miss them.

There are several things I have learned along the way…I have raised 6 children and now am helping to raise 3 grand children. Sometimes things have to wait…dishes, laundry, housework. No my house is not dirty, I found other times to clean it. I think about someday I will be gone and it will not be on my headstone how clean my house was or if my laundry was always done, it will say “mother”. I have played ninja turtles, gi joes and barbies among the years. I would give up the time I spent scurrying around to get my house presentable for company and spend it playing. I miss those times the most, the memories and the laughter. Honestly my house was cleaner when I had 6 kids at home. Things have been hard and trying at times, the tears have flowed. I always tried to take time out for myself…but I always could not wait to get back home to the happy chaos!I was the mother who waited for the bus and counted the minutes until it arrived. I am 54 and my kids are grown. They are lovable and very respectable adults! They love their mother without any doubt. I am glad I took the time to do the things that mattered…like playing!

Wow, this is all so true and it feels like you just described my entire day. Having twin boys means my days are constantly spent in a whirlwind of activity and i find myself sometimes just hiding behind the closet door with tears streaming down my face. And then I wonder to myself, isn’t this (your family, your boys, your life) exactly what I had always dreamed of? But then, why is it sometimes just so difficult and overwhelming and why am I not feeling ecstatically happy all the time?

You’ve inspired me to do something for myself(that makes me happy) every day. Thank you.
Thank you for understanding exactly how so many of us mommies feel and having the kindness of telling us we are not alone.

How do you recommend us Dad’s trying to facilitate this. I know that my wife is wired differently and sometimes helping take care of the small things keep her from having them nag at her subconscious, however, fun and dad are almost synonymous. I effortlessly have fun with my girls, and they basically look to me to be fun half the time. However, I don’t want my wife to be the worker/cook/maid while I entertain the kids and get them out of her hair. Sometimes I’m sure she wants to be the entertainer while I take care of chores. I just feel that when I take care of the chores, she does whatever she’s doing as a task, not for enjoyment, etc.

Robert, The fact that you are even asking this is AMAZING, so awesome! I’m sure you weren’t looking for a response from another reader, but I would say if my husband told me he was going to take over a few of the tasks/chores even for a little while with the wish that I have fun with the kids, I would make sure it happened. I bet she will release the guilt and enjoy her time with them. You are clearly a great husband!

Robert, You ROCK! My hubby is the ‘fun guy’ and I am the workhorse. I feel ‘out-of-place’ or out of practice when I try to be the fun mom and let him do the chores. When you feel like you’ve forgotten how to do it, it’s stressful. Maybe share the chores and get done faster and she’ll be able to get back in the groove of having fun!! My husband brought a trash can lid into the TV room, filled it with sand and had a Polly Pocket Beach Party with the girls. At first all I could think of was how I was going to get all that sand and water cleaned up. But, really, he was brilliant!! They had a great time and great memories!!
Moms…forget about how to clean it up, just do it!! Just… make monster soup, put glitter on everything!, get muddy, confetti it, make the dogs some treats, use food color in everything! When you look back and remember, you’ll remember the fun not the cleanup. I don’t mean, run around and make messes, just, don’t worry so much. My Mom always said ‘Messy house-Happy kids”.

Any mama who denies having felt this way, well, she’s just in denial! Or, maybe she hasn’t hit those feelings, yet. As a mom of three young adult sons and a step-son who’s a little older, and a married father, believing YOU are WORTH appropriate maintenance and encouragement must be kept front and center. This isn’t selfish, it’s the definition of thriving rather than just surviving. Learn to teach that loving family that our family is our first “team” and, on a team, we share the work and the joys, encourage one another, recharge ourselves, and build appropriate outlets for stress. Kids and spouses of all ages and stages will resonate to this truth. I encourage moms to have the integrity to tell THEMSELVES,and act on that message, because THAT is the vital starting point. They WILL follow your lead…

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I feel so much anxiety and guilt over not being able to be happy for my little girls that somedays I feel like leaving earth. They don’t deserve a mom who is always too worried to play. They love me. I think to myself, do I even like being happy anymore?… :'( Ill try joy for a change. I need to.

Thank you! I was having the same thoughts before I even read your thoughts about the glitter. I really needed to read this it hit home for me and just your message helped me remember that these moments are so fleeting I don’t want to miss them because I was too stressed out and busy cleaning… Thank you.

Great article and very needed. Thank you!
I came to this conclusion about six months to a year ago. I wondered what happened to me? I couldn’t find my laughter or silliness anymore. And I hated seeing that my kids were/are growing up so fast. So I concentrated on just being more “in the moment”. And sometimes just going thru the motions and finding it becomes meaningful. You have to work to get back your “happy”. And maybe it wont be the same as before but it’s a positive , more forward journey compared to crying over every passing day. And believe me, I’ve done that. There will always be dirty dishes but your kids won’t always be young. Enjoy them. Enjoy being you. Breathe, relax. It’s O. K.

I am 74 and I believe I had a happy mother. I miss her dearly. She could do anything, but what I remember most is she played with me and my two brothers. Every summer we lived in an army tent on a beach. No running water, no electricity, ice and milk was delivered. She did not drive so my father did the food shopping after he finished working.

She swam, walked, made sand castles, clamed, fished, with us and made us have quite time every afternoon. That was her time to read. She made all my close and made doll close to match. designed paper dolls and played with me.

She had a very sad childhood lost her mother when she was eight and her father when she was thirteen. It’s a wonder how she learned to give so much love to all of us.

I’m writing this to tell all the young mothers taking time for your self works. My life today is because of my happy mother.

I am 74 and I believe I had a happy mother. I miss her dearly. She could do anything, but what I remember most is she played with me and my two brothers. Every summer we lived in an army tent on a beach. No running water, no electricity, ice and milk was delivered. She did not drive so my father did the food shopping after he finished working.

She swam, walked, made sand castles, clammed, fished, with us and made us have quite time every afternoon. That was her time to read. She made all my clothes and made doll clothes to match. designed paper dolls and played with me.

She had a very sad childhood lost her mother when she was eight and her father when she was thirteen. It’s a wonder how she learned to give so much love to all of us.

I’m writing this to tell all the young mothers taking time for your self works. My life today is because of my happy mother.

As hard as it is for me to focus with all the brain fog I thank God I was able to read this today. It was a really great read. I have 3 all one year apart and for years I have been asking myself what happened to me? This is not the mother I wanted to be, crying upset all the time. I have had medical issues for years which has made it hard to have the energy to keep up with the house let alone the kids. But the depression sets in from feeling like im missing the right now and my kids and I keep trying to catch up and then I look up and they are a year older and talking and understanding more and then I wonder did I have anything to do with that because I was so focused on getting things done did I help them accomplish these lessons or have the little talks with them that mothers do.. It is hard and reading this helped me with what I had been thinking about the last couple days.. I do believe that taking steps to become happier is also a help. I have been working on a system for my house to make these things less stressful.. like today is my first successful day of making sure that I woke up before the kids so I had an hour or so to myself to just read my bible and pray and start on dishes that I wanted to do last night but didn’t and browse the internet and now will be going to make breakfast. For every mom its different problem areas but I think your post really just hit the nail on the head in a broad sense. Thank you and God bless.

Thank you thank you thank you, from the very bottom of my heart. This is exactly what I needed to read at this very moment. I have three girls, 6, almost 3 and 6 months. I have been battling with post part depression for the first time and it’s absolutely terrifying. My baby is a terrible sleeper keeping me up most nights and when she does sleep I can’t sleep thinking of the many things that need to be cleaned or put away, groceries that needs to be bought and those shoes I keep forgetting to return. I had my first anxiety attack last week while packing up from a day at the beach. It was hot, the baby was crying and I had 2 kids covered in sand of which I did not want in my car. I cried the whole way home. I thought having a third baby would be easy, I had two so I would know how to do this. What I didn’t know was how guilty I would feel that I couldn’t be the mom I want to be. I apologize to my older kids on a daily basis that I can’t do things with them because of the baby. When she does sleep I force myself to play that never ending game of Chutes and Ladders and curse every time I land on the slides only prolonging the game so I can’t get back to folding laundry. I know I’m babbling so I will try to end here. I so want to be that happy mom that can smile and laugh at every joke and dance move. I hope to get there one day, maybe when I’m getting more than 4 interrupted hours of sleep. For now I will try my best and know that one day it will be easier. So again, thank you. Your words touched me in such a way that maybe, just maybe today won’t be so bad.

Seriously, if you haven’t already done it, let’s start a Happy Mom Project on facebook. I’d be more than thrilled to start it up!! Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been lost or crying or at my wits-end. Moms need to unite!! Maybe people could post a pic, tell a story, once a day to be happy and help others…

I saved this link to come back to awhile ago on facebook and happened to come to it JUST in time tonight. thanks for these words. I have so many things I could say to explain why they’re so perfect for me right now, but all I have the energy to say is just.. thank you. they’re just what I needed.

When my kids got out the car this morning I felt so guilty and asked myself where did the old me go? I fussed all the way to school about my daughter forgetting this and my son not doing this and then soccer practice after school…..the list went on. I am either so tired or busy that I am never really happy anymore. So thank you for your words. I will print this out and read it daily if I have to! Thank you~

Rachel, you are a muse…for me, without a doubt as I read this…over again with tears of “thank God someone put it in exact words”. Thank you for
Being real…and helping so many (probably most:))) of us on this same ride to recognize that we aren’t “doomed”:). We just got busy:) And with that realization alone, there are a lot more moms out there who had a sigh of relief for the first time ever:)..again, thank you. You are a great “team captain” for this generation of mommas❤️

This is exactly how I feel – all the time. Tired from work and the day, telling my child no he can’t play outside because we just got home from work and school and have to eat dinner so we can to bed at a decent hour. I hate that. He is so happy and it feels like I’m dragging my children down.

This post was encouraging, and it’s so nice to hear when other women are facing the same struggles. Maybe I’m not as bad of a mother as I feel sometimes, and thank you for reminding me of that.

It’s just a start, but I try to let myself laugh out loud, sing with the radio and pause to look out the window every once and a while.

Thank you Thank you Thank you. It’s so refreshing to see someone else who mirrors my exact feelings. So many moms go on and on in social media about how wonderful everyday is and all of these amazing things they do with their kids and these beautiful healthy fancy meals they make 3X a day! How??? So many days I can hardly throw waffles in the toaster. So thank you for being real and making me and so many other moms out there not feel alone with our feelings and struggles.

Oh my goodness Rachel, by reading this article, I was cut to the heart! I have had a tough mommy week, needy kids, 1 and 4 yr old boys and this morning while trying to find my make up and trying to get dressed with the youngest on my hip my hubby said that I have lost my sense of humor and ability to laugh. Well, that was me, sobbing for no real reason on my sons bedroom floor.

I know that you wrote this article in 2014, but this will be my choice in 2016 – being happy, bringing the happy back and knowing that this too shall pass.

I have one daughter in college and the other daughter 1.5 yrs away from college. I have done incredibly well as a mom as my children are amazing. HOWEVER, what it cost me was everything I had done for myself. That includes my humor. Now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel I realize my project is now ME. I need to lose 20 pounds, buy myself a casual wardrobe that is FUN, have my own FUN friends, and find JOY in life again. Being a divorced mom without any support from their father as he is ill, has been the hardest 11 yrs of my life. I gladly sacrificed my life for my girls to have a solid foundation in theirs. NOW I am looking to find happiness again and maybe a few jokes……where does a snow man put his money???? In a snow bank! Ok,so I need to upgrade my jokes but I am on my way to ME!!!!! Yahoo!

So the writer finds motherhood “joyless” does she? The title caught my eye and to be honest I never read the article. What she WOULD find “joyless” is waking up every single morning for the rest of her life to the fact that her children are dead. THAT is a joyless, insane, empty, terror filled existence. My children were my life and since I lost them, living is torture. I don’t grieve for myself. I grieve for their lives taken from them, their future, their dreams that will never be realized. What I wouldn’t give to find a banana peel under their beds. This grief is the blackest, most all consuming nightmare that one could never conceive.
I promise you that your absolute worst day with screaming, fighting, colicky babies, dirty house, no money, etc. is N-O-T-H-I-N-G. I would suggest you get on your knees and thank God Almighty for the blessings that are your children. They are a GIFT and could be taken away in the blink of an eye.

I LOVE reading your posts! Thank you for making it OK to feel the way we do when life sometimes doesn’t go the way we thought is should/would. I have a dear friend who would benefit greatly from reading your posts and stories. She is not on social media and I would love to be able to print some of your posts to send to her. I tried to print this one and my printer said it would be 71 pages… Yikes!! Is there a way you can make a printer friendly PDF option for each of your posts without all the ads and pics that I could send to her? I know other sites can do this and I am hoping you can too. Thanks so much!!! Hugs to you!! 😊

I loved this post, and I relate!!
I am learning that being the happy mom is a sort of discipline!!
Trying to steal a few moments in the still dark of morning and in the quiet pockets of the day… To remind myself that God loves me… I am not alone… And yes! This mom thing is crazy!!!!! It’s crazy joyful…but crazy make-me-cry-and-lose-it-like-a-toddler, too!!! And I don’t have to be perfect… And shouldn’t expect too, because it’s impossible!!! But I know God gave me my babies because I’m the perfect mommy for them…wrapped up in all of imperfection.

It’s so healing to have a laugh and share a blog-hug with a mom in the trenches.
Thanks for sharing your heart!
Happy Tuesday!!!
Megs

Thank you sooo much; I needed to hear these words this AM after my 1.5yr old woke up at 5 after going to bed at nearly 10. I feel guilty that I’m not happy for even me anymore because I just never get a break or help. Even after being offered a mommy only getaway weekend; you feel like a jerk knowing it won’t “really” happen and it if ever did her screaming and crying because mom only gets the crap; would wipe away that relaxed state of mind in a instant… so not worth it. Then I feel guilty for giving up on myself and my own happiness. Of course I love my kid and wouldn’t change having her, those 20 hugs in awkwardly during bath time are sweet but the next day of hell is less than a full night of sleep away.
My goal this year is to do one thing that makes “mommy” happy. Good luck to you and me!

And then you have teenagers. It amazes me so much how people actually think you have something wrong when you admit you’re not happy being a mother. It’s hard work. Add to that children with special needs. I had to take my son out of public school after a number of issues we had. I homeschooled him from third grade on. I figured since I was a credentialed teacher? No problem. Yeah, right. Now that he’s in high school, I feel as if I’m in a no win situation. It’s hard. You get it from those who say you’re too controlling but also get it when you agree to enroll him back in the public school system. I just wish some would recognize how hard being a mother is and it’s ‘okay’ to admit this.

So Much Wisdom!
On January 11th we will adopt our sixth child. We have fostered her from birth. She has survived many life threatening medical conditions. Our five children are grown ages 23-36. It wasn’t our plan to be parents of a 2 year old at 55 and 56,but sometimes God has other plans. My older kids came in a herd…the Hallmark moments are a bit fuzzy to me….but they remember each one! I wish I had the wisdom of the Internet when the kids were small….but not the constant connection ….there were many days of no outside distraction back then!
At this age, in this season most of my days are filled with magical moments.life is slower…I benefit from many years of experience…I choose happy every morning no matter if little Miss is sick or having a good day. Even on the days I miss the mark…I know she’ll remember the Hallmark moments!

#truth my husband and I were just talking about this… Being a mom is grueling and its just plain hard to be fun AND get it all done. All we can do is do what we do and support each other. I’d be a big mess without my family and friends’ support!

What a wonderful thing to have come across this! I remember those days all too well and still have them occasionally! My kids are 20,18,14,13 (boys) and 9 (girl). The oldest 2 became mine at age 6 and 4 and the 14 y/o wad 6 mos at the time. I had to struggle for 12 years to get through being the ‘other’ mom. I was raising these boys. I disciplined them. I trained them to become men. Mostly in spite of the lengths their mom went to to work against me. My oldest was a lazy couch potato until he discovered girls. When he was 16 the ‘love of his life’ (aka 2nd gf) broke his heart when she broke up with him and he became suicidal. I’m still amazed we all survived that. Fast forward 4 years and he is in the Army National Guard, working full time (finally) and planning a proposal to his gf of 2 years and beginning the process of becoming a homeowner! This Christmas he wrote me a letter thanking me for being the first,only and most wonderful mom that had the courage to parent him, never giving up on him and helping him become the man he is today. He said I am his go to person for advice and the smartest person he knows. He told me he loves me. Made for a very emotional Christmas! It is moments like that that assure you that all the hard times are worth it! His younger brother is 18. A little mentally delayed but very caring, responsible and kind young man. So basically I managed to raise another woman’s kids into amazing young men who make me very proud. My own son… well he is another story… he is wonderful to everyone but me. We clash at every turn. If I told him the sky is blue he would argue that I am wrong without giving any reasoning or alternate opinion but he will keep it going until he has you so exasperated you are ready to call the men in white jackets to take you away, then and only then will he clarify that he disagrees because you didn’t specify the correct shade of blue. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that the end result with the other two was successful!
Can’t say much about the 13 year old… he lives with his mom (different from the older two) and we get him every other weekend and the bulk of the summer. He is brilliant but lacking in common sense but alot of fun! My daughter… is such a different experience. I feel like I have to take everything I learned about raising boys and throw it out the window. She is very sensitive, bossy to the point of driving her brothers insane but then she has an amazing heart of gold! She is a joy and a challenge and I can’t wait to see how she turns out!
So… have faith. I will try to laugh more, I think that has been missing in my life too, so many tears and fights and it all worked out in the end.

You know how moms can be more present and not so wrapped up in everything which needs to be done? Partners who help. That’s how. Listen, moms, this isn’t about you–it’s about a system which is set up to disenfranchise you.

Thank you! I feel this way often being a mother of two boys. Very busy in baseball and basketball all year long! That with school and homework and regular household chores and working full time, it is hard and sometimes I look at other moms and wonder how they seem so happy and full of life and have the energy and time to look so put together? Nails/toes, new clothes? Really when was the last time this mom of boys has seen a mall? I see ball fields & gyms. My wardrobe consists of sweats and tees. Now don’t get me wrong I’m a sports fanatic! I love it! I love watching my kids play. But like you said…aside from that I’m “busy”. Always too busy, too busy to stop and play and laugh and be a kid with them. I often worry about what they may say/remember about their childhood when they grow older. Will they tell their wife “my mom was always too busy, my mom was always worried about keeping house, my mom never played with me”. That makes tears fall. I am often jealous of my husband for the fact that he gets to do all the fun things with the boys while I am always making sure everyone has everything they need…food on The table and in the fridge, clothes are clean and put away, homework done, studying for that test is done, reading assignment complete, dr appointment done, forms filled out I mean you name it…I look at him like really you are laughing and being a kid with them and I am the bad guy who is stopping it to get homework done, take a shower, get your snack, brush your teeth, time for bed…you will be too tired for school you must go NOW! It’s ALOT!!! It’s no wonder most women are on some form of medication to deal with anxiety! We are everything to EVERYONE!! That’s hard. I vow to do the one thing a day like you suggest….most of all….I am going to vow to LAUGH everyday, try to make it fun, try to make light of the not so light situations that arise….because in the end, I just wanna feel good too! I want to know that my boys will grow up and day their mom was a crazy but who danced around the kitchen and sang into the spatula and twirled them around the room…I wanna be..no I WILL be THAT mom! Happy new year 2016!

Personally, I think this is all cr@p. I agree society has ingrained in women this idea of a perfect mom, but just because you feel like that doesn’t make it a mom issue. I work nights and spend the days with my children while my wife works during the day. Thinking this problem is unique to mothers is ignorant. Being a mother does not make you special, unique, or as many here seem to think, a victim. Parenting is hard, trying to find that balance between being you and finding joy with your child is difficult at best. Let the house be messy, let the world judge you because who cares what they think. A pristine house with children to me says you are a terrible parent. I have stickers permanently attached to my floors, no idea what color the carpet is in the kids play rooms and you know what? No one cares. I know men and women that work two Jobs just to provide for their families that would kill to have the problem of glitter on the floor; some of my co-workers only get to see their children at bedtime because they have to worry about paying rent or fixing the 25 year old clunker they are driving just enough so it keeps them on the road. If you are fortunate enough to be at home with your child get out of your own head and be with them. At best your kid is going to like you for 12 years before you become the enemy and then you have a decade of fighting them. Make memories during those first twelve and it will help you not kill them during the siege of puberty and young adulthood. Stop feeling like mom’s are poor abused victims and remember it is hard for Parents, moms and dads. If it’s not hard your probably not being a parent so quit whining about it and enjoy it, after all you chose this

My oldest is in college and I’m a single mom and I work probably 50+ hours a week – so I’m not short on understanding the work ethic and hard choices that we make as parent. That being said, I am a mom – and simply cannot write from the perspective of being a dad and if I did I feel like it would not be honoring to dads for me to say “I know what you’re feeling”. And that being said when we turn sharing real feelings that many have had and call it “whining” then we are shutting down the dialogue that we have as people to share when things get hard. In fact, saying that someone’s feelings are “a load of crap” really isn’t honoring of another person. Why not share your view but with kindness?

That being said, thanks for showing up for your family. That is what really matters.

Although I agree that it is up to the mother or father (parent/guardian) to create the happiness in his or her home, and that if said person is fortunate enough to be with his or her kids as well, they should really make an effort to be happy around them. However, I completely disagree that women and men are the same. So as Rachel said, it’s dishonorable to speak for dads, as a women, I simply agree. Mothers carry their children until birth, they have a connection for the child that is incomprehensible to anyone. Other mothers understand the feeling, but obviously don’t for that child. Being kind is completely relevant because we can all share our views in an appropriate and respectable way.

I enjoyed this article for the reason I’ve been at this point. As a seasonal SAHM, I know what it’s like to get mixed up in the workings of life – school, job, routines, sports, gym, etc. my advice to all moms, is to have some time for yourself (like stated in this article), consistently read up on various parenting techniques for whatever you’re dealing with (stress, insecurities, communication, discipline techniques, etc), and balance your lifestyles (ex. Instead of spending three hours at the gym, spend 1-2 and that other time at the park with your kid/s).

One book I’m reading right now is called Playful Parenting, and has some really amazing life examples and advice on how to address any problem with your child. Alfie Kohn is also a male author that I love in regards to child development. Really opens your eyes to how parenting can look like.

God Bless 🙂
Blog and website coming soon – Rachel, if you have any tips or would like to check it out, inbox me. I am interested in building a web based group of moms, and development, organic and/or Christian groups that can grow, help and share life, tools, techniques, etc.

Rachel,
I read your article from the perspective of being on the other side of motherhood with my grown daughter living out of state on her own now and my son a sophomore in college in another state. I share the same working singe mom background as you and I do not wish to minimize the struggle as I had many times I wondered the same thing as you about finding happiness and being overwhelmed. I applaud your idea to try and keep in contact with what makes you happy because you will need that and more once your children are grown – it has truly been one of the hardest things I have ever gone through trying to piece a new life together without the ting that made me happiest – my children.

I wish for you a strength to put aside the lists of things to do and the times when you are not living in the moment. Because the joy and happiness in motherhood is getting to be with your children and is found in the car rides and school events and after school activities and the time spent at home….it is in the belonging to a family and caring for them. I often look back and think I would do anything to be watching my son play hockey and chatting all the way home about the game and how much fun he had. I dream of spending a day with my daughter running errands, shopping, cuddling on the couch together. It will be gone before you know it so please take the time to be kind to you and not beat yourself up over the trivial parts of life. Enjoy being a mom in the everyday spaces.

THANK YOU for writing this. I feel this way so much, and I feel so guilty about it. My two kids are teens now — both VERY active in sports, AP classes in high school, looking at colleges for my oldest, all the drama that comes with the teen years. It’s sometimes easier than when they were little, but sometimes so much harder because the stress is so real for them, and that comes over to me because I want to do all that I can to help them, knowing that I really can’t. They’ve got to learn and grow into adults and learn to navigate their way, with our guidance of course. I told my husband just a few weeks ago that I am miserable trying to make everyone else happy. For me, it’s running. I try to take 30 minutes a day to go for a run or work out to give myself the “me” time that I need. But even with that, I feel guilty for taking time for “me”. But with practices and games and concerts and other school events to go to that doesn’t always happen, and much of the time it’s just me to do all these things since my husband works nights 2 months at a time and isn’t home. I love my kids more than anything – they are my world, but boy I tell you, I sure feel like a crappy mom much of the time, trying to navigate my way through the teens years. THANK YOU again for writing this.

What about the mom who forgets she’s a wife? I’m married to one of those and have never felt more alone in my life. We talk about it, she acknowledges it, but it’s been years and I see no effort for her to change. I find it hard to catch the sentiment of moms who are disconnected from their kids. Pardon me, but kids are temporary. I want my wife back.

Rachel-
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Not only did I agree and identify with all your words, I truly enjoyed reading each and every one of them. I also value your way of responding to people who have difficulties seeing the positive in sharing. You have an extremely genuine concern for people, and responded eloquently to negative comments. You managed to deliver a well-stated opinion of yours, without dismissing theirs (his). A true care-taker, and I’m gathering not just with your own, but with all. Thank you.
Jess

Thanks you for this – I needed it today. I have all girls, ages 13, 11, & 8, but I feel much the same way. I have lost the happiness because it has been swallowed up by the busyness, the “tween” girl hormonal meltdowns, and all. the. things. Thanks you for your honesty and inspiration in this post.

This can be true to moms of older children too. Many of the worries are the same and some are even bigger. It’s not necessarily about glitter at that point but of connecting with the teen that wants to push you away. It’s about the harsh response when you set boundaries and wondering if your teen will ever like you again. It’s worrying about your ability to stand firm on your boundaries even when other parents don’t care what their children are doing and have more freedom than you give your child. It’s competing with “well so and so’s mom lets her do that” It’s trying to hold on to your joy when your teens tell you they hate you. Your worries become more about the friends they choose to spend time with and how they spend that time. It’s wondering how far they’ll stray before they come back. It’s worrying whether you are doing it right. It’s a struggle to find the balance between being that cool mom and the mom who cares enough to teach them how to be responsible, loving, independant human beings who will go onto being parents one day. There are many days where I’m too busy worrying about everyone else to be that happy mom. Being a mom often means putting yourself last and by then, sometimes you’re just too exhausted physically and mentally to be happy. Being a mom is hard. But worth it.

The laundry? Will never be done. Dishes? Nope. I’m learning to play and have fun while keeping a clean yet imperfect home. My kids are 9 and 7. Instead of shuffling them to my moms so I can clean, I take 30 minutes while they play and do a focused sweep. They want me to read to them? I do. Lie down a few more minutes? Done. One more song? Sing it! Am I happy every second of everyday? No. That is unrealistic. But I find moments and I burn them into my memory. I exercise my happy muscles so they have muscle memory the more I work on them. I catalogue the little things that can annoy because they’ll be gone when they grow up. I’ll have the perfectly coiffed sofa with perfectly placed throw pillows. I’ll have the laundry done except maybe a load or two. The toys will be put away. The art projects will be stored. The glasses with straws and the bowls with half eaten cereal will be no more. You sometimes have to force yourself to be in the moment. Because kids don’t care if you have more laundry to do as long as they have their favorite shirt. Kids don’t care about dishes in the sink as long as they can wash their hands. Dust and animal fur don’t matter because we have animals, isn’t that normal? You do not have to enjoy every moment but you can turn the everyday mundane into a tribute to being a mom.

I have been thinking about this, regularly lately; and woke up this morning intent on changing myself, when I spotted this on a friend’s Facebook timeline. I am so glad that I did. Thank you! Mostly I am just glad to see that I am not the only one who feels like this. I feel like my children are growing up and I am missing out because of all my household duties/ busy mom jobs. I can’t just hang out and have fun – even though I always wanted to be the fun mom, and I feel like I am just boring and never available. I will definitely be trying the one happy thing a day. Thanks again, Rachel. Have a great day everyone, x

I struggled with infertility & promised myself that if I ever was finally able to have a baby, I wouldn’t take even the hard stuff for granted. But nobody really tells you how hard being a mom is! It’s beautiful and amazing and all that I hoped for and more, but it’s hard! Thank you for helping us give ourselves a break!! You’re a great mom too!

Yes! Thank you for your honesty. This drive to be the happy mom is the passion that drives my work with women. I am lucky to work with wonderful women who are searching for happiness and confronting the challenge of how to care for themselves while still caring for their families. It is so easy to loose yourself in motherhood but it is possible to find yourself again.
Gwendolyn Nelson-Terry, LMFThttp://www.GwendolynNelsonTerry.com

I watched a video from two decades ago of my daughter’s second birthday party. I wanted to cry b/c I remembered thinking about the stress, the immediate next 100 steps needed to make the party run smoothly. I saw myself thinking about the clean up. I saw black rings under my eyes. My advice; forget the housework, dishes done before bed, mail read, making beds, perfect parties and being perfectly dressed. Don’t waste time on things that aren’t precious. No gravestone inscription touts your clean home or good managerial skills. Breathe and be present. I wish I had.

Awesome read. Perhaps the next piece could be about the guilt we deal with when we take the time and make the effort to redirect the spotlight, even if for one thing or for a brief moment.
Recently took up guitar and while it brings me immense joy, I feel uncomfortable and guilty to focus on something so selfishly. Funny how that is. Truth remains that you have to take care of yourself so you can properly care for others 😉 again, great article …encore!

I sooo get this…There are days that things are so overwhelming. We are indwelt to take care of everyone else..make everyone else happy. We are management happy people for everyone, but not ourselves..We are the FIX IT GURUs…

We have to try to find lil specks of time to recharge. HAVE TO…
Prayers for all of you…We all have to lean on each other…Being a Mom is a very HARD, IMPORTANT job.. We are guiding futures..

Thank you for writing down how I feel almost everyday. Some days we just need to know we are appreciated. By the end of this, I was sobbing because I finally knew that I’m not the only one that feels this way. Thank you for this. Keep being a wonderfully, stressed, exhausted, awesome mom. 🙂

I was in tears before I even saw your post -then I came across it in my feed & am so glad it’s not just me that feels this way. My son has autism which takes all my emotional strength most days then add to it 2 other children. Aaaagh!! My house is a mess & today I actually don’t care – I’m going to chill out with my little girl wholeheartedly before she starts preschool tomorrow 😀 thank you, thank you, thank you xxx

Very true and very relatable! I had 4 kids in 5 years and felt this way often. My youngest is now 12, the oldest, 17. The season of toddler years seems to last an eternity, but you will get through it. The day of no Legos to be stepped on will come! Eventually! And back then when I was overwhelmed and thought I was doing a crappy job…I’m proud to say…I have some pretty awesome teenagers!
Bottom line, You are not alone.

A wise woman once encouraged me as a mother to smile when my children talk to me, and smile when I talk to them. It’s a conscience decision to make as it doesn’t come naturally with all those to-do lists running around in my head, but a simple way to bring the happy back — for my children to see that I’m happy and for them to feel that they’re apart of what makes me me happy too.

Just reading this gave me tears.. I know IM not the only one. I know there are others. Why do we all keep it to ourselves?
My story? Two kids, 10 (almost 11) and 3. My boy, 10, has severe autism and isnt biologically my child but I raise him and love him like my own.. Have done for five almost 6 years. My daughter, the love the fills my soul, has mild cerebral palsy.
Even in those moments when I do stop and think ‘you are doing a good job’ Im reminded that sometimes my good job could be so much bigger and better. Why am I not working to make more money for more therapies? Why am I not able to get my 3 year old talking properly? Why don’t I enjoy playing? I never have, not even when I myself was a child..
Mother hood is hard.. Can be harder when your own mother isn’t around (mine died when i was 9).. I do the best I can.. But what do you do when your best rarely feels good enough?

I’m sitting in my bathroom that I’ve half cleaned, listening to my kids downstairs, and I’m crying because before I read your article I was sitting on the toilet asking myself this very question. I feel like the most un fun mum. I hope I can feel better. Thanks. X

I am glad I found that I am not alone . I am worried about many things that I don’t when they say ” kids bring you joy and happiness ” means any more . It’s so hard for me to find balance between cool and happy mom , and being a mom kids will respect and listen. 🙁🙁

I love your article, it all is so familiar to me, but what do you do when you realized you need to find that happy and cant? When everything just makes you feel like your suffocating and even finding that happy becomes a stress because you can’t seem to find it? I love my kids with all my heart they are my world, but I have become someone I don’t even know anymore. With a 7 year old boy, a 3 year old boy who acts 6 and a 1 year old girl, I don’t even know how to find myself anymore. Of course there are always things to be done, and the kids always need something and even when you try to sit down and play with them or do a craft the boys start fighting the girl starts crying and that joy you tried to have with them turns into just another chore, I am lucky if I get to shower every other day, when I have that little energy to wake up before them to do it, yet I still find myself hurrying to be done and pulling back the shower curtain to listen for them getting up. I just wish I knew how to find that happy when everything I once had joy doing, turns into just another stress. How do I make things stop turning into this. I so badly want to feel happy, and want to feel joy, but I an honestly scared that I will never find it again. tears fill in my eyes when I try to think about what that feeling is even like anymore. I crave to know what that feels like again. I am almost sure that it has been a little over a year since I lost this feeling. I noticed the changes after I was in a car accident (rear ended at a stop light) and slowly watched my organized happy simple life slip away….if anyone can please help me find that happy I would be so great full….

My wife and I are blessed to be able to live on just my income, but I work long hours and lots of overtime. My wife stays at home with our 2 1/2 year old boy and 7 month old daughter. We are in the thick of it right now. Our life is a lot like the one painted above by Rachel. I help and do as much as I can when I am home. With the kids, the house cleaning, getting her as much time free from kids as possible, but it doesn’t seem like enough lately. It seems like she has more bad days than good and struggles with finding joy

What are some things you would want your husband/partner to say, do, give you that would bring joy to your life or be of any significant help.

“Happy” is not synonymous with “joy” necessarily. You can have a quiet joy even in the midst of stress and sometimes, joy comes in the morning afterwards. You are wise to cut yourself slack, be human, do what you can do, and move on. Getting caught up in the search for happiness can steal more time than just being who you have to be. Love will win over all.

I know this all too well. While working full time, putting my husband through 5 years of school and dropping off and picking up my boys from preschool to high school years (including baseball years) I lost the joy of motherhood from time to time. Sometimes longer than I care to admit. I remember my son was in 5th grade started having very negative interaction with me. He was becoming less affectionate and very short tempered. I startled me to think maybe he is picking up this bad attitude because of me! I remember at the time I hadn’t been as supportive or excited about things as I should’ve been. I was burning my candle from both ends and the day to day demands of taking care of everybody’s needs but my own was taking a toll. By middle school the boys were a big challenge. For the first time they were getting in trouble in school and starting to act out. We argued more, shouted more and this of course caused a huge strain on my marriage. Eventually as the boys got older and my husband was able to work again, I started feeling better. And especially not having to carry the weight of my family alone was a big help! They are 17 and 18 now and although life isn’t perfect, we do have a lot more fun together. The boys are more loving and affection towards me, which warms my heart beyond words. I count my blessings for second chances and happier days ahead!

I don’t know who you are, but this is just scary to read as I feel like I’m reading my very own thoughts on this matter. As if you read my mind and wrote my thoughts down. Thank you for posting this. I cried as I read your post as its 100% accurate for me. Thank you for helping me over this hurdle as you have done for others here. I’m still in a bit shock! It’s a work in progress for sure

Thank you for sharing! When my kids were little I stayed at home and they were the best years of my life! I was so happy, my kids were happy too. We played, explored, and enjoyed life. When they were 5 and 3 my husband left us. I am now a single mom working a full time night shift job. I’m overwhelmed and so tired all of the time. I have never had to deal with anything so challenging as being a single mom. I miss the simplicity that my life used to have. Like you, I want to do fun things with my kids and I have good intentions. I try. Some days that’s the best I can do. Thank you for reminding me that there are other moms out there that feel the same!

This brought tears to my eyes because this is where I have been this last month! It’s hard being a mom, your absolutely right.. However, through all the stress and chaos there comes Joy! It’s being present so we somehow don’t miss it. Will we have harder days than others, of course. Give yourself grace and make it a point to find joy in your day, even if it’s 5 mins…

Thank you for this post . I though I was the only one who felt like I am a terrible mom I totally lost my happy I’m a mom of 2 May big boy is 4 and my little princes is 1 I love them to death but they drive me nuts everyday specially the little one plus attending the house and the husband I feel like going crazy to the point that I go to my bathroom close the door and cry and cry till I feel ok again motherhood is sooooo hard

This post could not hang ring truer to me. I see and read so many blogs about “mom life” and all that goes with it while scrolling my FB newsfeed. This one, however, really struck a cord with me. It’s as if you took the thoughts and feeling directly from me and wrote them out. I needed to read this. Thank you for sharing, and that you for your grace and positivity.

Been there and sometimes it still happens. My youngest is 5. I have moments of silence now when the kids are out playing with friends. My older boys (9 and 12) can pitch in and actually help when things are overwhelming. Sometimes we do a quick pick-up and then sit down and enjoy a game together. The “little years” is just a season. Give yourself grace. There are days I feel like a failure as a Mom and my 12 year old will randomly come hug me and tell me what a great mom I am. What?! If you cared enough about parenting that you read the article, then you are doing a great job! Cut yourself some slack and leave the chores for just a little while and enjoy those kiddies. It doesn’t take much to fill their hearts – and yours.

This was so very very refreshing to me.
At 50 years old I have raised 3 children already 36 year old non biological son, 31 year old son and a 30 year old daughter along with many other children that were not any relation to me what so ever. I am now raising a 7 year old son yes a late life baby and 3 grand daughters 12 and 10 year old twins. The last several months I have felt so very very overwhelmed with raising children that I find absolutely not joy in this journey just tears of sadness and pure exhaustion. To the point of having to go to the ER several times in the last 3 weeks where I was diag with dehydration, panic attacks and excessive exhaustion.
This article reminded me that I am not alone that we all get overwhelmed, tired, overloaded with so many roles = the mom, the care giver, the teacher, the nurse, the cook, the maid, the wife, the taxi cab driver, the shopper, the peacemaker and the list goes on and on. But it also reminded me that there is one role that is extremely important and that is the role of loving ourselves and taking care of ourselves in order the be healthy not only physically but emotionally and mentally in order to be there for our children not just physically be there but to emotionally be there for them to guide them in the right direction to love them not only with words but with actions such as a smile and laughter and conversation.
So with this said I WILL GRANT MY SELF GRACE everyday for the unimportant things that I do not accomplish during the day the dishes, laundry etc and I will be proud of the most important things that I do everyday like spending GOOD, LOVING, JOYOUS moment with my children and actually enjoying them and of course take some time for me because I count too !!!!

Thank you so very much once again for sharing your season your journey with us.

Wow, this is spot on! I always feel there is so much to do, and even when I do play with my kids, in the back of my mind I’m wondering how long I have to do this because I have A, B and C to do! I work part-time as a pediatric speech pathologist, too,. Obviously for that job I have to be totally focused on the child and spend 45-50 minutes just “playing” with that child, which I almost never get to do with my own children (unless we are away from home). I wish I could just “let go” and do that with my own kids.

This is how I have felt for years. It’s a dark put that seems nearly impossible to crawl back out of. It’s a vicious cycle that seems to gain momentum daily. My daughter was crying out to God in the shower just the other night….”Please God, help my mommy be happy!” Talk about heartbreaking. It’s my behavior and attitudes that have her heart in pieces. Dear God, help me…..

This is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been feeling like the worst Mom in the world. I’ve been stuck in the grind of being a house wife and a stay at home mom that I forgot about me. Wake up tending to the kids first, diaper change. going potty, getting a bottle, making breakfast, cleaning up the aftermath. Then cleaning up all the toys tossed all over the house, and I mean all over.Prepping on what I’m making for dinner for all of us. Cooking time takes about 1hr to an hour and a half. I sit down for a while then kids want to play, but I’m already exhausted from my morning to early afternoon chores. I feel I don’t give them any time what the so ever. My chronic pain also doesn’t give me the ability to run, jump around or horse playe with them. As soon as the hubby gets home they are on him like glue. He runs, plays horse with them on his back. He plays hide and seek with them. I see how happy they are doing the things I cannot and makes me feel worthless as a parent. Then I cannot even be a happy go lucky mom with this constant pain in my body daily. I try to smile and sing with them, but it’s hard when all you feel is pain and discomfort all over. I wonder if I have failed as a mother. It’s so not what I expected to be as mother for my children. I keep wondering if my kids are going to look back once they are adults and hate me or feel resentment for me. It breaks my heart to think that and worse to imagine it. I don’t want to ruin my children’s childhood memories with a sad, unhappy and tired mom. I just want to be and feel happy for this blessing I’ve been given. I love my children so much and just want them to be happy. I will commit to doing some me time so I can be less stressed and be a happy mother and wife. I’m so thankful for reading this article because I now know I’m not the only one that is going through a hardship as a mom. It has given me hope to strive for a better me one step at a time.

Thank you so much for writing this. I used to think it was weird for me to feel this way some years back. I used to be cranky, sad, emotional and always craving for real adult company and discussion. but then it all changed when I got a job. I feel better now but as mothers we really do need almost the same measure of love, care and affection that we give to our family . it’s not easy being a mom .. but my family will always be my priority.

When your 9 yr old asks you to scratch her back at 10pm and as much as I want to, I couldn’t give that simple request to her. Chasing g 2 toddlers around while they escape diaper changes, and digging the goldfish that one spotted in the garbage, and refereeing fights over stolen silly cups, and consoling the other who got a toy thrown at her head over a Elena doll.struggle. I. Just. Could. Not…guilt crept in, and thought I could have spared 5 minutes but that moment I was tired of the wants..and just needed a break…I also want to enjoy and have fun with my girls, finding I am faking happiness for their sake..

As moms we get tired when we try to do everything. Enlist the kids! Chores are GOOD for them! Trust me they can handle it. Kids love chore charts with stickers. Plus, it makes them feel like a valuable member of the family. On top of that they get tired too, and go to bed with less effort. I learned from a friend of mine who is the happiest mom I know to puts the kids to bed at 8:30. She was always happy, the house was always organized and I wondered how she did it. She put the kids to be early. Then she has time for herself and energy to be happy and to deal with her kids when they are awake.

It is as if you are right inside of my head and my heart! Thank you for allowing me to cut myself a little slack, and reminding me to take a moment here and there. I’m right there with you…work, school, kids, laundry…it is far too easy to get caught up in life and forget to pause and enjoy it a little. Every mom should read this!!

I find myself feeling like this as a grandma sometimes. I watch my four grandchildren on a regular (2-3 times a week) basis, so I don’t get to be the “Oh it doesn’t matter; kids will be kids. Let them eat sugar” kind of grandma. Lately, I am constantly reminding myself to just sit down with them and focus on whatever they want to do, especially with the 7-year-old who is kind of quiet and does not demand attention. To be fair, I also have been caring for my elderly parents, a husband who has Parkinson’s, and three dogs, but I wonder sometimes “where did the happy go? “. My grandbabies don’t act like I neglect them; they are happy children and love grandma and grandpa very much. I know I probably am too hard on myself sometimes, but I feel like I should be happier for them. It has gotten better over the past few months. Your words are consoling. Thank you.
“Maybe we should all make a goal for this year to find one more thing to do to be happy. A Happy Moms Project, perhaps. Not built on artificial pretenses or doing crazy extra things or being perfect, but really on loving ourselves and taking time for ourselves and learning to be in the moment just for a bit with our kids.”

I would love to be a happy mom again. I have two older children and love them both dearly. About a year and a half ago they started arguing with each other and stopped talking. They started up again speaking with each other but it isn’t the same. A big stab in the heart happened in August to my eldest and now at Christmas it got worse. I feel like I did something wrong raising my kids. I wish I could go back in time and change what was going to happen so it wouldn’t. I want my happy life back. I want this bad dream to go away. I want my family to be my happy family again. I really need a miracle.

This article miraculously appeared on my feed today! Today, I was asking myself about my happiness and the longing to feel like myself again. This article conveys all the thoughts that run through my head constantly. It’s been a while since this was posted but I thank you for writing this!

Omg 😲 it’s like u know me and get me! I have 2 kids and this is how I feel and bummed when I can’t get to the park or do fun stuff all the time like ppl post in their FB pages! U make me feel ok to be human and make mistakes or not get it all done right and now! Thanks for ur post! Its soo important for all of us mums to stick together and support each other… even the dads too! But moms really do rock ! Thanks for again for ur beautiful and honest post!
~Katie from Boston

Thank you for giving me 30 minutes of time tomorrow where I fully engage in the game and get glitter everywhere and just chill out with my kids. this I will try and do without thinking of the consequences… which could actually be quite good if I learn to do this, without reservation, everyday xx

Such an excellent post. So many parents feel in the same boat but feel guilty about expressing their despair over how HARD and often thankless parenting is. I don’t prescribe to the ‘selflessness’ way of parenting. I love my kids to pieces. I listen to them, help them, spend time with them, laugh at them and with them. When I get bogged down I take ‘me’ time. I’m lucky to have a partner and family that I can count on. But I am honest with the kids with no holds barred. I tell them that I’m tired and need help to recuperate. I ask them to step up and do their bit then I skive off without guilt. I go out and recharge, I hide away in my room with wine and a book, I go for a massage and everything else that makes me feel like something other than a mum. Awesome. Deep breath….. then I’m ready to happily go another round. Parenthood is not for the faint hearted.

Patty! Your 25 year old daughter was not perfect no kids are. You most likely rejected her when she brought home a same sex partner and she walked away.

You can’t go back and for all I know you did great as loving parents. Just know that your daughter might have spent 20 of those 25 years hiding her true self from you, her depression, anxiety, sexuality, her feelings, any of 100 things. I pray for your family to come together as adults who love each other no matter what.

I’ve freshly arrived at the other side of motherhood with four boys all grown enough to leave the house and even my very first grandbaby but this is still so important for me! I still struggle with feelings of guilt for not being able to do more for my children. There were times that we didn’t have anything at Christmas, things I wanted to do with them that I feel I lost because that moment passed and will never come again, mistakes I still want to go back and make right…it’s hard to let go of my perfectionism when it comes to my babies. Thank you so much for helping to remind me that I did do a good job because no matter what we did or didn’t have I loved them with all my heart and always, always will! I will keep looking for those reminders in life until I really believe it =)

It used to be like that for me too. It started to improve when I started bellydanceing classes. Last year I retrained. This year I went on a parenting course, they said every parent needs time off every week. Just doing something without the family for a minimum of an hour. It gives you a chance to reset.

Oh, this is wonderful. Because so many of us feel this way. Overworked, often taken for granted and unappreciated, stressed out because you know you’ll never get around to everything you need to. And feeling like a horrible mother because you’re just the one who’s always making people do things instead of being the nice and fun one. I wish I had seen this yesterday! Thank you for your honesty!! It’s helping a lot of us! 🙂 Lisa

Thank you so much for this encouragment Rachel. I find myself in this rut daily. I always feel like I should be doing more for my family. That I should some how be able to do everything that is on my mental “To DO” list, though it never all gets done. Which leaves me feeling guilty and inadequate at the end of the day. But my kids are happy, healthy, and loved and that should be enough at the end of the day. Now I just need to work on trying to appreciate that “Hey I got the important things done today.” They know I love them. 🙂